Misconceptions
by FleaBee
Summary: The SGC believed they had come across ancient goa'uld artefacts that had been buried in the sands of Egypt for many millennia. Instead, what they had recovered were the Millennium Items that had been sealed only a few short years before.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The runes of the ancient temple were stumbled on by chance by a group of archaeologists who were on their way to a dig fifteen kilometres from the location of the dig. If it hadn't been for the recently caved in roof, they wouldn't have even known it was there. The small group cheered when they realised their find wasn't known to the greater archaeological community. Their plans changed to exploring the newly discovered temple rather than the dig they'd all originally meant to attend.

The small group had a lot of work ahead of them, sorting through the rubble that was once the walls and roof of the temple. The group examined each carving in details, they all told their own story. They wanted to know, what had the temples purpose been. Did the carvings mean anything important? Were there any interesting artefacts to find? So far they'd found nothing. They were beginning to think that nothing of significance would be found.

Not finding any artefacts hadn't turned them away, it had just made them more curious. Had there ever been artefacts here? Had they been stolen? Where they just hidden? Had the temple even been used for the purpose it was intended.

"I've found something." One of the men shouted excitedly. Underneath the rubble, he'd uncovered a stone tablet. The large stone tablet contained seven golden artefacts.

The archaeologists gasped, and began moving rubble out of the way as fast as he could without damaging the find. "I thought these items were just a legend."

"You know what they are?" The youngest archaeologist in the group asked her mentor. It was the young woman's first dig.

"They are called the Millennium Items. Powerful magical artefacts gifted by the gods to Pharaoh Aknamkanon." The older archaeologist explained to his student. "They helped him overthrow his enemy and take back his lands. These same items that blessed him so for several years are recorded as the cause of his death. The items that were once seen as a blessing ended up being a curse that ended the Kingdom. Those who are considered unworthy by the gods cannot possess the items. All records say that Pharaoh Aknamkanon was a good king. Him being stuck down by the gods had come to a shock to his council and his kingdom according to legend."

The archaeologist was drawn to items. He couldn't look away. His hand lingering above the Millennium Ring. "But the curse his not real. He told the young woman." He picked up the Ring and placed it over his head.

As soon as he did, he could hear a cackling laugh in his head. _"I assure you curses are very real."_ A voice whispered in his head.

"Did you say something?" He turned to the young archaeologist. Finally able to look away from the items he'd been drawn to moments ago.

His student didn't reply; she took a step back in fear. Walking away from him ever so slowly. From around him, the light was being distorted, producing demon like shadows. The ring began glowing brightly. _"You made a mistake disturbing my resting place. That mistake will cost you your life."_

The ring rose away from the man's body; the points angled, pointing directly at his chest. With great speed, the ring flew toward him, impaling the man. The woman screamed, alerting the other archaeologists.

Blood spurted everywhere. The young lady's ear piercing scream rang through the temple. The rings pointers had impaled the man's heart. An evil cackling heard by those in the tomb. She was found covered in her dead mentor's blood, muttering nonsense about a demon.


	2. Domino City - Japan

**Domino City - Japan**

The young man woke up panting. The cackling laugh that woke him fading to his dreams. He grabbed at his chest, a habit from when he still owned the Millennium Ring. It wasn't there, his Yami's laugh had only been a dream. He wasn't back, and yet despite all the horrible things his Yami had done, he wanted him back. Everything about his room reminded him of Yami. Looking in the mirror felt like he was looking at his Yami instead of his own reflection. He didn't feel whole without his evil Ring spirit.

The glow of his clock told him it was just after two am. He wasn't going to be falling back to sleep tonight. With a sigh, he got up and flicked on the light. He wandered into his kitchen and turned on the kettle. A nice cup of tea should calm his nerves. It still felt like Yami Bakura was going to jump out of the Shadows at him. He dropped his teacup; it went smashing to the floor. Shadows! There was a disturbance in the Shadow realm. He could feel it. That is what woke him up! However, that should've been impossible. The Shadow realm had been sealed when Yugi and Yami Yugi completed the ritual in Egypt placing the Millennium Items in the stone tablet. The Shadows couldn't be disturbed unless someone had disturbed the stone tablet. Yet it was crystal clear to anyone with the ability to sense the Shadows. They were awake again and active. They'd recently tasted blood and they craved more.

Despite the time, he raced for his phone and called Yugi's number. The kettle still boiling in the background.

"Ryou, did you sense the disturbance as well?" Yugi asked him in a panic, not even letting Ryou have a chance to speak. "I don't know how it happened. Do you think that the Pharaoh is alright? Did I do something wrong with the ritual? Has Zork broken out of the Shadow Realm?"

"I did sense the disturbance to the Shadows. I was hoping that I'd imagined it." Ryou replied with dread. He had been hoping Yugi would confirm everything had been a dream. "Sorry for calling so late."

"No need to apologise, I was just about to call you myself," Yugi replied. "I couldn't fall back to sleep after feeling the Shadow Realm. I can still feel it though it's faint compared to before."

"Any idea what disturbed the Shadows?"

"None, do you mind if I come over? I don't want to be alone tonight." Yugi asked.

Yugi's grandfather was currently visiting his good friend Arthur Hawkins and his mother had moved away from Domino City for work in recent years.

"It's no problem for me. You're welcome anytime, even at two in the morning. Are you sure you're going to be alright walking the streets at this time of night-morning? I could always come to your place, instead. I don't mind." Ryou offered.

"No, it's fine. I really need the fresh air." Yugi assured Ryou. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

YGO

It was only a few minutes, but it felt longer. Ryou would not forgive himself if anything happened to Yugi. He was surprised when he saw a dark car pull up. Seeing the high classed car with heavily tinted windows only increased his panic. Yugi got out, waving to the person as they left. Not looking harmed in any way. Ryou's heart slowed when he realised the car was one of Kaiba's and not one of the local gangs or yakuza.

"I met Kaiba while walking here," Yugi explained as he walked through the door. "He drove past on his way home from work. He refused to let me walk here by myself. I think Kaiba sensed the Shadow disturbance as well. He didn't mention anything, but wasn't surprised to see me and assumed I was heading here."

Ryou smiled, despite the number of years that had gone by Kaiba still refused to talk about what had transpired all those years ago with real Duel Monsters, soul stealing, Shadow Magic and all that other nonsense they had lived through. Kaiba, at least, didn't make the snide, rude comments about their magical adventures not being real like he once did.

They both talked for a long while about their Yami's, Shadow Magic and university. Both he and Yugi were studying archaeology at the same campus. Their other friends from high school had left Domino. Joey had moved closer to Serenity, working manual labour jobs. Tea was not living her dream of dancing in America. She was still in Japan studying dance in the city and performing in small stage plays. Tristan had joined the military and often moved around. They didn't know what Duke was doing these days; they'd lost contact with him after school. All they knew was that he was no longer in Domino city. Not even Mokuba was in Domino anymore; he was attending boarding school internationally. Without Mokuba around Kaiba often sought himself of Yugi out, when he took a break from work. He craved to have a real conversation with someone that wouldn't hero worship him. Someone who would treat Kaiba just like a regular human being. Occasionally the three of them would get together and test the video games Kaiba Corporation released.

Around five am both he and Yugi started to fall asleep. Ryou chatted away as he made up a futon for his friend. Yugi was the only person who actually used it; they often had late nighters while studying occasionally joined by a couple of other mutual friends from university.

YGO

They were woken hours later by the phone ringing. Just as Yugi found his phone, the ringing stopped. Ryou's phone then started ringing with the same number as Yugi's missed call.

"Good morning, Ishizu." Ryou greeted the Egyptian woman. "Yes, Yugi is with me. Wait a sec, just going to put you on speaker."

"I take it you both sensed the disturbance in the Shadows," she stated.

"Yes, we did," Yugi replied, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"The items have been taken by a group of archaeologists. I've been trying to talk to them, but they've locked me out. They're packing up the tablet and the items in a shipping crate as we speak." Ishizu informed them. "I'm sorry, I've failed you."

"You haven't failed us." Yugi protested. Ryou nodding in agreement despite the fact Ishizu couldn't see him. "Thank you for informing us. Can you keep up updated?"

"Of course," Ishizu replied. "I'll keep working on my end to find out where they are taking the items."

They both sighed. The items really had been disturbed. The people who had recovered the items had no idea what they had found. In the wrong hands, the Millennium Items were incredibly dangerous. Now they had the task of recovering the items.

YGO

Despite Kaiba not being an item bearer ... in this lifetime he had just as strong a link to the Shadows and Shadow Magic as Yugi, Ryou, and the Ishtar clan. He'd been awake when the disturbance had happened with the Shadows. He had tried to ignore it without any luck, it was calling to him, not allowing him to ignore them. He sighed as he looked at the time. It was late and time for him to call it a night. He should've called it a night hours ago. In a few hours, he would be back at work again doing the same thing he did ever day.

He called his driver who worked the night shift, trying to shake the feeling of the Shadows. The Shadows were meant to be dead and buried when Yugi finished that ritual to send Atem to the afterlife. Life was supposed to be normal now. No magic, no duel monsters coming to life, no Egyptian gods and most importantly of all no soul stealing shadows.

He knew that he hadn't imagined the shadow disturbance when he saw Yugi walking around in the middle of the night.

"Pull over," he ordered the driver.

He watched as Yugi jumped in surprise at his car. He opened the door, he watched as Yugi relaxed, realising who it was.

"Kaiba, I wasn't expecting to see you," Yugi greeted him.

"You're going to see Bakura, aren't you?" Kaiba asked him.

"Yes, I am. How did you know?" Yugi asked.

Kaiba shrugged his shoulders. It was rather obvious; there had been a disturbance in the Shadows. The first thing Yugi would do would seek out the other former item bearer to find out if he'd sensed the disturbance as well. He would not say it aloud, though.

"Was it really so important you couldn't wait until morning?" Kaiba asked him.

"I couldn't get back to sleep," Yugi replied.

Yugi didn't have a car so his only option was walking or public transport, at this time of night public transport didn't run.

"Get in." Kaiba moved over, making room for Yugi.

"I wouldn't want to intrude," Yugi replied. "I'm really okay with walking."

"At this time of night? You're going to get in the car Yugi, no arguing." Kaiba glared at his rival.

Yugi was far too innocent looking and looked far younger than he actually was. He was the type of person that thugs would prey on. If anything happened to Yugi tonight because he'd left him, Kaiba wouldn't forgive himself and neither would Mokuba if he'd known that he was in a position to do something and hadn't. That wasn't quite right, Mokuba would forgive him eventually. No that still wasn't correct. Mokuba would be disappointed in him for not helping and would think that nothing needed to be forgiven in the first place. When it was obvious that he wasn't going to change his mind, Yugi gave in and got in the car.

"Thank-you Kaiba." Yugi smiled.

He grunted.

"How's work? I haven't seen you around a lot recently?" Yugi asked.

Yugi was always one for small talk. "Several big projects going on at the moment. Have a big reveal coming up in a month's time if the schedule doesn't get pushed out again." He replied.

Talking to Yugi was easier than it once was. He'd never done well with people in his own age group. To him, they had been immature children though thinking back he was quite immature himself. Emotionally immature.

After a few minutes of small talk, he said his goodbyes to Yugi. Something big had started, what that big thing was he knew he would not like it. He ordered the driver to go slow. It was only once Yugi was in Bakura's apartment that he got his driver to return to the mansion.

YGO

Instead of heading to bed to get his much-needed sleep he was making a phone call to Ishizu Ishtar. Ryou and Yugi could talk out there Shadow issues together. He'd go direct to the Egyptian woman and find out what she knew. He knew she'd contact him eventually if he waited.

"You sensed it as well," Ishizu told him. "The Millennium Items have been moved by an archaeological team. I didn't even realise they'd discovered the temple until they'd disturbed the Shadows. I did have clan members watching over the temple. I found out far too late that they'd slacked off because nothing ever happened. They've already been dealt with."

He heard someone talking to Ishizu in Arabic. Telling her that she need to leave and that she wasn't welcome. He could hear her arguing back.

"Sorry Kaiba, I'll call back when I have more. I'll need to deal with this problem." Ishizu told him in Arabic. It was a good thing he understood Arabic because he assumed Ishizu didn't even realise she hadn't switched back to Japanese.

Ishizu wouldn't be calling back for a while and there was nothing else he could do at that point. He needed more information before he could act.

YGO

Kaiba had got a couple hours sleep before he returned to work. Mid-morning Ishizu called back with an update. The items had been loaded into crates; she wanted him to trace them. The last thing he needed was for some madman to take control of the Millennium items. He'd had enough of dealing with Shadow Magic during his high school years. He didn't want to spend his adult life fighting against Shadow Magic. He had spent several weeks tracking the items; they'd been shipped to America and ended up at Area-51. That was going to make them difficult to recover. He'd been hoping they would end up in a private collection, that way he has an easier time to recover them. He would either buy them for himself or if that did not work, recover them with brute force. Just knowing that the items had ended up in Area-51 would bring up to many questions on how he knew. He couldn't exactly recover them with bribery or brute force either. This was going to be harder than he'd first assumed.

His first step was to call Ishizu and tell her he'd arranged a flight to Japan. He couldn't tell her over the phone. Too much risk of someone else listening to their conversation. He'd just told her that he'd found something that couldn't be discussed on the phone. She was understanding and had agreed. He'd also told Yugi and Bakura the time and place to meet up.

YGO

Ishizu looked tired from her flight. Yugi and Bakura both chatting with her happily while they waited for Kaiba to tell them what he knew so far. Once Kaiba was happy that they didn't have anyone eavesdropping he filled them in on the location of the Millennium Items.

"Area-51," Yugi said in disbelief. "Why are they at Area-51?"

"I never imagined they would end up there," Ishizu exclaimed. "That will make it almost impossible to recover."

They'd discussed for a while what they could possibly do. Bakura staying remarkably quiet about the whole ordeal. Yugi was the first one who needed to leave; he was meeting up with Joey, who was visiting for the day.

Ryou spoke up once Yugi left. "Kaiba, Ishizu. I think I have a plan, but you have to promise not to tell Yugi. He'd just worry and want to be involved."

They both promised, Ryou was obviously trying to protect Yugi if he wanted him kept out of the loop.

"I think I should be able to break into Area-51 to retrieve the items if I am on my own," Ryou told Ishizu and Kaiba his plan. "If the Shadows are awake like I assume my Yami should be able to get us-me out with the items."

He felt slightly guilty that he was excluding Yugi from his plans. He hated keeping secrets from Yugi. The one person who understood exactly what it was like to be possessed and share a body with an ancient spirit. It was also the reason he could not tell him. He didn't want his closest friend to be hurt. He needed to protect Yugi in case his plan didn't work out. Getting caught could mean a long time in jail or possibly even death. Breaking into Area-51 would most likely be seen as an act of terrorism.

"But then we have the issue of the Thief King stealing the items for himself," Ishizu told Ryou.

"That may be true, but it's the best chance of getting the items back. If Bakura's other self-does steal all the items, Yugi and I, at least, have a high chance of winning them back." Kaiba agreed. "I did consider sending in one of my team, but that can be linked back to my company. It's too risky for me to act."

"Same if I send in someone from the clan." Ishizu agreed. "Everyone has just started to find their place in the modern world. They would begin to doubt that Yugi is the Pharaohs reincarnation if the whole clan knew the Shadows had been awakened."

"I wouldn't want you to send anyone else. My Yami has a very high chance of killing anyone else that is sent after the items. I have the best chance of getting in and out alive." Ryou pointed out to them.

"You make a valid point." Kaiba agreed. "Yugi would want to come if he knew what you are planning."

"That is why I don't want him to know," Ryou told them. "I have a better chance of getting in and out undetected without Yugi. My Yami also taught me a thing or two about breaking into building undetected. I've never actually used it before, but ..."

"If you're going to do this, you have a lot of prep work to do. You may have the knowledge, but you don't haven't had the experience." Ishizu pointed out.

"The items aren't going anywhere. I'll update you if they move. In the meantime, we have a lot of prep work to do." Kaiba grinned. "You know the saying, practice makes perfect."

Ryou gulped, he did not know what he was in for and knowing Kaiba it could be anything.


	3. Nevada - USA

**Domino City - Japan**

Ryou was sad to say his grade average at University had slipped due to the constant training for recovering the Millennium Items. Yugi would give him encouraging smiles, which he would return. He felt guilty for keeping Yugi out of the loop. But it was for Yugi's own good, he didn't want Yugi to get into trouble if something had gone wrong. And this had a lot of potential for going wrong. He was going to be breaking into a United States Government facility. He'd done several trail runs of breaking into Kaiba Corporation. The first run had been an absolute disaster. Kaiba had wanted the trial run to see what they needed to work on. They had a lot to work on. The second trial he didn't get caught, but Kaiba still wasn't happy, same with the third and the fourth. By the fifth Kaiba was satisfied, but didn't know if his success had been a fluke or not so he'd arranged for him to do a few more runs. Kaiba increased security each time he completed a break in of his business, so each time was completely different. It wasn't always the main Kaiba Corporation branch he had to break into. He had Ryou going through the theme park and several other locations that Kaiba owned.

He'd been practising multiple languages with Ishizu. He already knew Japanese and English fluently, but she said it didn't hurt to know more. As a part of his archaeology course, he'd already been studying linguistics, so it was just an extension of his education. That area he'd improved on. He spent a lot of time working on his agility, stamina, computer skills and anything else Kaiba or Ishizu thought he needed to succeed.

Once both had agreed Ryou was ready to go, they waited for University holidays. He booked a trip to America. He had a full itinerary for three week. He was going to look the part of a tourist. Nothing he had on him would even suggest that he was going to attempt to break into Area-51. He'd mentioned to his peers at the university about how much he was looking forward to his trip and the time to unwind before the next full semester. To Yugi, he mentioned that he just wanted to be closer to the ring.

"I wish I could come with you," Yugi replied. "I want to be closer to Atem as well. I'll be visiting Joey, Tristan and Tea during my break. Have a safe trip."

"I'll try." Ryou smiled. Yugi and his father were the only two to see him off. Kaiba would raise too much suspicion. Ishizu probably could've got away with seeing him off, but they were staying on the safe side. He'd been surprised that his father had shown up. He still had a rather rocky relationship with his father after years of being host to the Millennium Ring. He boarded his flight, trying not to think about what could go wrong. Trying not to look too nervous. Attempting to be an excited tourist.

* * *

 **Nevada - USA**

He had nothing planned the first day. He needed to get over jet lag so once he was at his hotel he tried to relax and enjoy the view. Ryou didn't want to do anything that would tip the Government off to his true intentions. If everything went wrong, he could end up in prison for the rest of his life, or even potentially put to death. The risk of what he was going to attempt was high, but the risk of not doing anything was greater. The Millennium Items had the power to cover the world in darkness if they ended up in the wrong hands. His own hands were possibly the wrong hands. He was hoped that Zork was really gone and that the Thief King spirit would be a changed person, changed for the better.

The next few days passed in a blur as he played tourist, trying to act interested and not nervous for what he was about to do. He could still pull out. No one would be the wiser that he planned to break into Area-51. He was so tempted to pull out when he felt it again. The Shadows singing about the blood they had received. His Yami had killed again. It wasn't the first time he'd felt the Shadows blood lust in the months since the ring and the other items had been stolen. He prayed that it would be the last. He had to stop the ring from killing those who tried to use it. It was his responsibility to bear.

YGO

The actual day he would break into Area-51 came upon him quickly. He left his hotel room like any other day. Instead of following the tourist path he headed towards the place the Millennium Items were being kept. He could feel them.

He lay in wait, observing. Looking for blind spots with the cameras. Counting how long each guard took to complete their round. Being so close to the items, he found the Shadows calling him. He called back and found himself surrounded him in shadows. He took a deep breath. It was now or never.

Ryou scaled the fence, darted to the building and through the nearby doorway. This was too easy, that should have tripped the alarm, and yet it did nothing. He stuck to the shadows. The Shadow Magic making him harder to see, but he wouldn't be invisible if someone looked directly at him. He attempted to keep his heart steady as he walked through the building. He didn't know how Kaiba managed to get blueprints of the building, but they were accurate. He wished that he had time to look at what was stored here. It was a geek's dream to see the place rumoured to house aliens and alien artefacts. He searched out for the items again. He could sense the items, but couldn't sense the distinct aurora that made up his item. The Millennium Ring. He continued walking through the building and finally found the crate that had to contain the items.

The container lid came off easily. He suspected the Shadows had helped him, sensing his intentions. He dropped it to the floor quietly. One, two, three, four, fix, six ... seven was missing. His ring was not with the other items. His heart fell. How was he to get out if he didn't have his item? With a sigh, He picked up the puzzle. Hopefully, the Pharaoh would be able to help.

"Yami, can you hear me?" He asked in quietly, he did not want to alert anyone else.

"Bakura?" He heard in his head. The ancient pharaoh was weary of him. He could feel the spirit looking for signs of his Yami.

"He's not here. I don't know where he is; I thought he was going to be here with you." He said as quietly as possible "Can you help me get the items out?"

"I can't help you the way you need. The only one I can help is Yugi." The ancient spirit appeared next to him. He wasn't looking at the image of Yami Yugi he'd grown used to. He saw the image of Pharaoh Atem. He still looked similar to Yugi. The different was the tanned skin. His eyes a different shade. His clothing those of ancient times.

He nodded in understanding. "In that case, we won't be able to take the tablet."

He picked up the tauk and ankh. He was about to hang them around his neck with the puzzle when he was hit with an electrical attack and knocked unconscious.

* * *

 **Stargate Command - USA**

George Hammond didn't like days like today. He'd just had a young man delivered to the SGC from Area-51. He'd managed to break into the building and recover some dangerous artefacts that had recently been moved to the not so secret warehouse. The airman who'd detained him was in the conference room waiting for a debriefing.

"General," the airman greeted him.

"You're the one who detained him," Hammond greeted him. It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, sir," the soldier replied.

They took a seat with everyone who was to be involved. He'd included SG-1 since he wanted Dr Jackson's opinion on the artefacts the young man had attempted to steal and Dr Fraser, who'd attended to the young man on arrival.

The General looked at the airman, indicating for him to start talking.

The airman began, "I don't know who he is sir, but he was good. I didn't even notice him at first. Then when I did, I lost track of him several times. I had to keep looking at him directly so I didn't lose track of him. The boy, he just blended in with the background. Like he had some cloaking device that didn't work correctly. He did not notice me tracking him. It was obvious he was after something specific. I tracked him to what he was after, he didn't even have to look General, he went directly to the box with those artefacts that were recently delivered from Egypt, the ones you suspect of being goa'uld artefacts. I thought he was after something else at first since he just stood there staring at the items. He picked up the pyramid and started talking. He has to have some type of cloaking technology, because how he kept disappearing isn't natural."

"What did he say?" Hammond asked.

"I don't know sir, it was in another language. After he had finished he picked up two more items, that's when I hit him with the zat gun." The airman replied.

Hammond dismissed the airman. "I have security footage from the young man's break in. He pressed play."

"I don't see anything." Jack pointed out.

They could see all see that the airman was now tracking something, but what that something was they couldn't tell. The box was then opened up. Nothing for a few moments before the pyramid artefact disappeared. It was another few moments before two more artefacts disappeared, then the airman used his zat gun revealing the young person dressed in all black. Gender was hard to tell from the video.

"Dr Jackson, Captain Carter, interview our guest when he wakes." General Hammond ordered. "Workout what technology he used to cloak himself. Find out who he is, where he comes from, how he knew about those items."

Daniel and Sam nodded.

"The artefacts are in your office, Dr Jackson. Find out what they are after the interview." Hammond told the team.

"Anything you want from T and I?" Jack asked.

"Not at this stage, stand by and assist Captain Carter and Dr Jackson." Hammond then dismissed his top team.


	4. Stargate Command - USA

**Stargate Command - USA**

The intruder was awake when Daniel and Sam entered the cell. He'd managed to unlock one the cuffs that were chaining him to the desk. They both heard the distinct click when they entered the room as he relocked the cuff. They both glanced at each other before sitting opposite to the young man. He'd been redressed in a blue prison jumpsuit. The white hair was shocking for someone so young. It was actually white, not blond. His skin very pale like porcelain. Yet he was not an albino since he had chocolate brown eyes instead of the red or pale blue that true albino's possessed.

"Can you tell us your name?" Sam asked him in a stern tone.

He replied in a language Sam didn't understand.

"He said that he doesn't speak English," Daniel told her. "He's speaking Japanese."

The boy's face gave away the fact he could understand English. Whoever he was, he did not appear to be trained in masking his emotions.

" _Can you tell us your name?"_ Daniel asked in Japanese. He wasn't as fluent in Japanese as some of the other dialects he knew.

" _I won't."_ The boy replied.

" _What organisation do you belong to?_ " Daniel continued.

" _I don't belong to any organisation. And before you ask, no-one sent me. I came of my own free will."_ The boy was nervous as he spoke.

"Daniel," Sam asked.

"He won't give his name. He said that he doesn't belong to any organisation and that he came by his own free will."

"Ask he's what he is after," Sam asked Daniel.

"That was the next on my list," Daniel responded.

"I lied about not being able to speak English. I was hoping it would take longer for you to get someone who could speak Japanese." The young man replied with a sheepish smile. The young man had a British English accent. "I went there for the Millennium Items, nothing else. They are dangerous and you should have never removed them from their resting place in Egypt. You don't know what you're dealing with."

Daniel and Sam shared a glance. Neither surprised that he could speak English. Daniel, however, was surprised that the young man could speak both languages fluently.

"What are we dealing with?" Sam asked.

"Ancient artefacts that will kill whoever is unworthy whom attempts to wield the items. You must not touch them if you wish to live." The prisoner warned.

"Who judges who is worthy to wield the items?" Daniel enquired.

"The Egyptian gods. You may not believe me, they are very real." The young man replied.

"Which gods?" Daniel enquired, wondering if this young man followed the goa'uld.

"Ra-Horakhty is the main one." Was the short reply from the young man.

"What can you tell me about Ra-Horakthy?" Daniel enquired.

"Not much." The boy shrugged.

They asked a few more questions, but the main answer was, the items are dangerous and don't mess with them.

"How did you turn invisible to the camera's?" Sam asked when the questions about why the young man was at Area-51 and what he knew about the items stopped progressing.

He looked genuinely confused. "I can't turn invisible."

She had the security footage shown. Looking for any signs that he was lying. He seemed intrigued by the fact he was invisible to the video cameras.

"I didn't know I could do that. If I did know, I'd do it now." He told her honestly.

SG-1

After several more long questions without any answers, they had his escorted to the medical bay.

"What are you going to do to me?" He asked with fear.

"Just a general check-up. Take a blood sample, MRI, that type of thing." Daniel replied.

He smiled nervously at the female doctor, the young prisoner sat down and allowed himself to be cuffed to the bed. It was actually his second examination; the first had been while he was still unconscious.

Daniel pulled Janet aside. "For some of his answers, it's highly likely that he might be a goa'uld."

Janet nodded and walked back to the young man.

"Can you tell me your name?" She asked him.

"I cannot." The young man replied politely.

"How about your age?" Janet continued.

"Out of high school. For how long, I will not tell you." The intruder replied.

Janet nodded. "Any medical conditions I should be aware of?"

"I'm anaemic," he replied. More than Janet was expecting.

"I'll keep that in mind when I take your blood." Janet smiled, trying to keep the young man calm. He returned her smile nervously.

"Do you know what is going to happen to me? I know breaking into Area-51 was wrong, but the Millennium Items are dangerous. I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of them. People die for them. I don't want anyone to be hurt, I don't want anyone else to die." The stranger rambled.

"I'm not sure. It depends on a lot of things." Janet told him. "Cooperating by telling us your name would be a good start."

"I don't want my family to be hurt because of something I did," he replied. Janet continued with her examination. "I don't know any of you. Though so far you all seem to be good people."

She checked the back of his neck, no sign of goa'uld entry there. She checked his throat, no sign of entry in his throat though that was harder to tell when a goa'uld entered through the throat.

"Can you take off your shirt?" She asked.

He nodded, nervously removing his shirt. The thing that stood out the most was the markings on his chest.

"Daniel, Sam," she called the scientist and doctor back over.

"What do you make of that?" She pointed to the boys chest.

The boy looked highly uncomfortable with them looking at his chest. The Eye of Ra burnt into his skin like a brand. The shape very much like the Millennium Ring, which had been kept at the base the whole time, considered too dangerous for Area-51. Underneath was five stab like wounds. It looked like he'd been stabbed in those spots multiple times.

"How did you get these marks?" Janet asked.

He shook his head, refusing to answer.

"What about this one on your hand?" She prodded.

"I accidently stabbed myself with the castle tower of one of my board games," he replied.

Once again more than Janet or anyone else was expecting. If he was actually telling the truth was another thing.

"And your arm?"

"Someone stabbed me. Didn't see who. I was when I was still in high school when it happened."

"Your back?"

"Car accident when I was still learning how to drive."

"Your chest?"

"I'm still not telling you." The intruder frowned.

Janet smiled. He was good. She continued with his medical exam. Taking blood and finishing with the MRI. Whoever the young man was, they knew what he wasn't and that he wasn't a goa'uld.

SG-1

Daniel walked into the room where the Millennium Ring had been kept, far away from all the other items and where personal walked on a regular basis. Something about it drew people in. They couldn't resist and ended up putting the ring on, ending up dead. It couldn't even be guarded as a result. He'd seen the footage, it wasn't pretty. The kid who'd been brought in was obsessed with the Ring. Whenever the intruder dropped off to sleep, he would mention the ring consistently. It had been constant since the boy was here. He wasn't sure if the boy was aware he talked in his sleep. He wished that he could call him something more than Boy, if felt wrong even though he was technically a prisoner.

"What is so unique about you that people keep putting you on? Why is that boy obsessed with you? What purpose did the goa'uld have in creating you?" He asked the item, not expecting a reply.

Daniel got one. A whisper in ancient Egyptian dialect similar to what was spoken on Abydos." _They put me on so I can test if they are loyal enough to be my host. Those that are unworthy cannot be my host. I don't know who or what goa'uld is, never heard that word before."_

" _You can talk,_ " Daniel replied in the same dialect. " _Did you talk to everyone else before they put you on?_ "

" _As can you, I talk to some. You are the first who understood me."_ The voice whispered. " _If you put me on, I can show you everything that you want to know._ "

" _Won't I die, like the others?"_ Daniel asked.

" _It depends; maybe you are worthy to be a temporary host._ " The voice replied in a sinister tone.

" _How will I become your host? Will you take over like a parasitic goa'uld?_ " Daniel questioned.

" _I already told you, I don't know what a goa'uld is. If I don't know what it is, I will not know if I take over the same way. Think of it more as a possession by a ghost._ " The spirit explained.

The ring cackled with laughter as Daniel picked up the ring, unable to stop himself. Against better judgement, he placed the ring around his neck. His life started to flash before his eyes instantly. Slowing down slightly when his parents died. Flicking though him being carted from foster family to foster family. During his working life, the memories sped up until a dig in Egypt. A dig that had gone horribly.

"Not this one," he shouted out. He hated this memory; it was too much like his parents death.


	5. Location Unknown - USA

**Location Unknown - USA**

Ryou was returned to a different cell. This one had a bed and a toilet. He could see a camera in the corner. Despite being locked up, today wasn't a bad day. He did feel uncomfortable with how long they spent looking at the eye of Wadjet branded on his chest. It had been there ever since he'd been attacked by Slifer in Battle City.

He'd been locked up in worse places, such as his own mind when Yami was constantly in control, the Shadow Realm or the mental institution his father had him locked up in just before he finished high school. That had been the worst; he wasn't even possessed by Yami anymore. He was just getting his life back on track when his father had him committed.

There they kept him locked up and constantly drugged while. He had no idea what was going on half the time. Eventually, he started getting used to the drugs they had him on, becoming more alert. He didn't show any signs that he was getting accustomed to the medication. Otherwise, they would've changed it out, drugging him with different medications. He practised dislocating his arms to get himself out of his restraints. Hid behind the door when the nurse arrived one morning to give him his next lot of medication. Pickpocketed her door tag and walked out behind her. Locking her in the room. Then he walked to the staff locker room, changed his outfit. Walking out of the building. He'd gone to the only person he knew could help at the time and that had been Kaiba. He'd been surprised that Kaiba helped him when he'd asked, he was assuming that Kaiba would not even accept his call. He didn't talk to his father much anymore, not that he spoke to his father much in the first place. This place was pleasant compared to then.

Kaiba would know that things had gone wrong. He and Ishizu would be doing their best to get him out without getting themselves into trouble. Kaiba had probably been tracking his movements from the time he'd got on that plane in Japan. Yugi would only know he was missing when he didn't return from his holidays. No one else would even miss him. His father would probably like it if he disappeared off the face of the Earth.

He walked to the door and tried the handle. Locked. That would be too easy. He walked around his cell. Their only way out was by the front door. He didn't know where he was, but the layout he'd seen so far of the building was nothing like Area-51.

He looked at the bed. Sleep was a good idea. He was tried after the day he'd had so far. Waking after being tasered, or whatever they did to him to knock him out wasn't a restful sleep.

YGO

Ryou woke to the door opening. The person was an older man with very little hair. Going by his uniform, he was in charge of his current location.

"What are we to do with you, son?" The man asked him. "You haven't told us anything that would get you released from this place."

Ryou was confused about where he was at first. He briefly thought he was back at the mental health facility.

He sat up on the bed. Looking directly at the older man.

The man continued talking. "I wanted to see you for myself. You're really not going to tell us anything are you?"

"Just that the Millennium Items are dangerous," he repeated the same phrase once again.

"I know they are. Three of my men are dead because of one of the items. It killed several people before they were transported here. Tell me what I can do to stop this?" The man asked.

Ryou felt sick. He hadn't been fast enough to stop the Ring from killing people. It was what he'd been afraid of.

"Give me all the Items. Especially the Millennium Ring. If I have it, it should stop killing people. It can't kill me. I am the only one that it will not kill." Ryou replied to the General of the facility. He assumed that it wouldn't be able to kill Yugi, the Ishtar siblings and Kaiba but he knew the ring spirit would still try with his friends. "They need to be put back to rest. You cannot put the items back to rest I know who can. Things will only get worse if you don't hand them over."

"I thought you said you are working alone?" The General asked him.

"I am working alone," Ryou replied. Hoping he sounded convincing. He didn't want to get Kaiba and Ishizu in trouble because of him or even Yugi despite the fact he wasn't involved in him breaking into Area-51.

"What can you tell me about the goa'uld?" The General asked him.

Ryou looked at him with confusion. Goa'uld? He didn't know that word, was it some type of duel monster?

"What can you tell me about these?" The General asked when he didn't answer.

His Duel Monster cards. They were the only item besides the clothes on his back. If he got Yami back, he was hoping the ancient spirit would be able to use them. Most of his spirits powers revolved around Duel Monster."They're Duel Monster cards. It's one of my favourite games."

He'd left his favourites at home in case things went pear-shaped, which obviously it had.

"Why did you take them with you? You had nothing else on you?" The General asked with genuine confusion. To someone who wasn't familiar with Shadow Magic or professional Duel Monsters, they were just regular trading cards.

"Good luck charm." Ryou grinned. "Obviously, they didn't work since here I am. But then again maybe they did because I'm not dead.

"I'm sorry for no co-operating more General. I'd like to tell you more, but I don't want others to get hurt. I don't think I can say anything that will make you hand the Millennium Items over to me. They are dangerous and I won't stop trying to get them back."

"Back, that makes it sound like you've had them before." The General pointed out.

Ryou stopped talking. He turned away and sighed. If only the ring had been with the tablet, then everything would've gone so much better and he wouldn't be here right now. He'd be back in Japan at University with Yugi and his other friends.

The General left after a short while. Leaving his Duel Monster Cards behind. Ryou left them sitting on the table and went back to bed. He was still tired and didn't want them to know how important and dangerous those cards actually were, especially with the Shadows currently awake.

Wherever they had the Millennium Items, he couldn't sense them. He should have been more aware of his surrounding when he was at Area-51. How was it he didn't notice the guard following him? Maybe he should've tried summoning his Duel Monsters when he had realised the ring wasn't there. He hoped that Atem was alright and that he wasn't hurt when they'd been tasered.

 **Memories of the Past**

 _Daniel was watching himself in Egypt, so young and hopeful. He was working on the dig with a female archaeologist from England. Her children playing close by as they examined the hieroglyphics on the tomb wall, discussing in great detail what they could mean. It wasn't unusual for an archaeologist to bring their whole family on a dig. His own parents had done it with him. A loud explosion was heard from nearby. A bus of tourists had been attacked, the bus exploding. The area they'd been working hadn't been as stable as other sections. The wall collapsed on top of them. He had seen her cover her daughter from the debris. He ran and covered her son. He was knocked unconscious by the roof collapsing. He woke up with shouts from the rest of their team digging them out. He'd been fine, as well as the boy. The boy's mother and sister had been hit the worst. Both were dead._

 _The woman's husband was an archaeologist on the same dig. The man cradled his wife and daughter, begging them to come back. Hugging his son so happy to see he was alright._

The memories stopped. He wasn't dead. Before him, he saw a young man. He looked every bit the Egyptian, except for his hair. His hair was grey. His most distinguishing feature was a scar running down his face. In fact, he looked like he could pass for the boy's older brother. They had very similar facial features.

" _I was going to kill you, but you were there that day. You saved his life. I owe you a life debt._ " He said in disgust.

" _How can you owe me a life debt for saving a child's life?"_ Daniel asked.

" _Because that child is my chosen host. He is the only person who can house me long term. You've seen him before as a child which means I have a chance to find him. You're going to help me._ " The spirit demanded.

 **Stargate Command - USA**

Daniel placed the ring on the table and ran out the door, slamming it shut. He ran straight into Jack.

"What the hell were you thinking putting that thing on!" Jack yelled at him. "I saw you from the security feed. Are you insane? Everyone else has died."

"I only went to study the item, Jack. I didn't mean to put it on. It has a pull, I couldn't stop myself." Daniel replied. He ran his fingers through his hair. "I did learn something, the ring is sentient."

SG-1

It was an hour later when Daniel was called in for a debriefing. Knowing where to look, he'd found the identity of the young man from his memory. He was the child from his memories. He looked very much like his mother whom he'd worked with years ago.

The whole of SG-1, George Hammond and Janet Fraser were in the debriefing room waiting to hear Daniels experience. He told them what the ghost-like man looked like and how his memories had flashed before his life. "He showed me an accident in Egypt, the temple I was working in collapsed killing the archaeologist I was working with and her daughter. The woman's son survived. The ring told me the only reason he didn't kill me is because I'd seen his chosen host and owed him a life debt for saving the boys life. The young boy is his chosen host. That young boy is the young man we have in the in the holding cell." Daniel informed them. "Knowing who his mother was I looked up the accident, I found his identity." He pulled up an image of the young man. "Ryou Bakura. He actually has an extensive amount of information about him doing a google search, as well as several fan pages." He bought up one of the fan pages.

"Those cards, they're the only thing he had with him," Sam mentioned. "Duel Monster cards."

"He has only competed in one Duel Monster tournament six years ago," Daniel told them. "The tournament was called Battle City and he finished in the top eight. The tournament was world ranked. He has never competed in another tournament. He is better known in the Monster World circle. Monster World is a Role-Playing Game. He's consistently ranked somewhere in the top three in Japan and the top ten worldwide. Several expansions for the game credited him as the creator, most are fantasy based or Egyptian based out the scenarios he's been credited with creating. The most interesting thing is up until six years ago he is regularly seen wearing this."

He bought up a picture from Battle City. Ryou Bakura did not look like the sweet innocent man in the holding cell. He looked cruel.

"I haven't got anything else at the moment," Daniel replied.

"You've done well Dr Jackson," Hammond replied.

"Dr Fraser, are you sure this boy's never been a goa'uld host in the past?" Hammond asked the doctor.

"He has no naquadah in his blood sir. If he was a goa'uld host, it's very different to anything we've ever seen before." Janet then turned to Daniel. "Daniel, the ring, it didn't dig into your chest when you put it on?"

"No," Daniel replied.

"General, I'd like to examine Dr Jackson and make sure he has no other side effects." Janet requested.

"Permission granted Doctor," Hammond replied.

"If there's nothing else, you're all dismissed," Hammond told them.

"Actually General, there is one more thing," Janet told them just as Jack and Teal'c stood. "The marks on Mr Bakura's chest. I believe they are from the ring. The marks line up with all the people the ring has killed."

"If the ring did that to him, why isn't he dead?" Sam asked.

"Dr Jackson said it himself; the boy is his chosen host. Maybe that is how he chooses a host." Janet replied.

SG-1

SG-1 were meeting up with General Hammond again with the results of a full background search on Ryou Bakura. They hadn't let Ryou know that they knew his identity yet.

"So what have we got?" Hammond asked his top team.

"That he was reported missing in Nevada three days after his break in at Area-51. Teal'c and I picked up his belongings from his hotel room." Jack informed the General.

"What do you have?" General asked.

"Clothes, knick knacks, computer, phone, wallet, money, driver's licence and two passports," Jack told him.

"Two passports?" The General inquired.

"Mr Bakura had dual citizenship. One's for Japan and the other for England." Sam replied. "His belongings all suggest he was here for a holiday. His computer is clean. Just monster world scenarios, assignments a few computer games and photo's. The most interesting photo's are these ones." Sam turned on the projector. It displayed a picture of Ryou with the Ring. A woman with the tauk and a boy with the upside down pyramid. The other people in the photo didn't have any items.

"I know her." Daniel pointed to the woman. "She's Secretary-General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, Ishizu Ishtar. She apparently tried to stop the items and tablet being shipped out of Egypt. She's still trying to get the items from the temple returned. She has mentioned what the items are, but if she really did have the tauk, she may know what is in the temple."

Daniel added her to his list to investigate.

Sam continued. "He had Ishizu Ishtar as a contact, the other one which is interesting is Seto Kaiba. He's the president of Kaiba Corporation. He's been on our radar for a few years since his technology is far more advanced than anything else. His holographic technology in particular. He refuses to deal with anyone else, concentrating his efforts on improving entertainment. His company was formally one of the biggest suppliers of military grade weapons for the East. Then out of nowhere, he stopped the company from producing weapons. Seto Kaiba is well known in Japan. Normally it would be odd to have someone as famous as he is as a contact; Ryou Bakura went to school with him." Sam flicked to another picture. This one a school picture. It had most of the same group from the Battle City photo. The boy with the upside down pyramid in the photo had the item in this picture. Ryou didn't have the ring in this image. Money wise he does not have an overly large amount of money it's enough to cover a holiday and a smaller emergency."

"Investigate him, I want to know his connection," Hammond instructed. "Take Teal'c with you."

Daniel continued. "In recent years he's been attending Domino University, he's studying to be an archaeologist. His best class is linguistics. He's mastered several languages already. Fluent in English and Japanese, which he grew up speaking, Arabic, Mandarin and German. He can get by in French, Cantonese and a couple of other languages. Yugi Moto, the boy with the upside down puzzle is studying the same course. Their professor, Professor Lemaire, I've worked with in the past. Mr Bakura has been doing well overall in all his classes. High school, on the other hand, he went between doing extremely well to doing poorly regularly. He's been expelled from fifteen schools and is no longer allowed to study in England."

"We had to do a lot of digging to find out why he'd been expelled." Sam continued. "He had a string of people fall into coma's after 'playing' with him. Starting six months after Mr Bakura's mother's death. These are just the ones we know about." She had three photo's for each person. A photo of just before the coma, when they first were in a coma and now or just before the person had died. "It's possible there are more. They also believe it's possible he's responsible for three murders, no one has been able to prove anything. This one was his teacher at one of his English schools. He was found in an abandoned warehouse with his penis cut off." She bought up a photo. "Sato Kiwa. He was found in an alleyway in Japan also with his penis cut off, he was a known paedophile. And lastly a female teacher, her name had been withheld by her family, we can find it with further searching if needed. She was found in the school basement of the school Mr Bakura had been attending at the time. No one has ever been able to prove Ryou Bakura was involved."

"The most interesting thing is the coma's and murders only happened after he's first seen wearing the ring." Daniel bought up a photo of eight-year-old Ryou wearing the Ring. He looked so small and fragile. "This was taken four months after his mother's death and two months before the first coma patient.

"When he was thirteen, he was diagnosed with multiple personality disorder and depression. Ryou had no memory of how those people got into coma's. He mentioned a voice in his head that would constantly tell him that he could play with his friends forever. The depression was a result of his constant blackouts. His father stopped taking him to psychiatrists when he was fifteen when they kept falling into coma's."

"We believe that the blackout was caused by the ring. That the ring is the one who put all these people into coma's and the one who killed those people. How he's done that, we don't know. It's possible that the ring works similar to the goa'uld hand device and he's destroying enough of the mind to put them into coma's."

"What about the one's he killed?" Jack asked.

"We believe they were also put into coma's. Just that no-one found them in time." Sam replied.

"Just before he turned eighteen his father had him committed to a psychiatric ward in Domino City Japan. He was there for three months before he escaped." Daniel continued.

"How did he escape?" Hammond questioned.

"Just watch," Sam told them. Playing the security footage. It showed him escaping from his restraints, stealing the pass and walking out the factuality in clothes he'd taken from the staff locker room. The footage then changed to CCTV footage with him walking down the street to a payphone and being picked up several minutes later. "He was picked up by Seto Kaiba. Ryou Bakura then took his father to court so he no longer has any say in what happens to him. He has had no recorded incidents since that time. The most important thing to note is, he hasn't had the Ring since that time."

"That makes it all the more important that we keep it as far away from him as possible," Hammond told the team. He dismissed them after they'd finished discussing everything to do with Ryou Bakura.


	6. Stargate Command

**Stargate Command - USA**

Daniel Jackson had made a mistake in putting on the ring. The archaeologist had given the ring spirit enough power to feel the other Millennium Items and those compatible with Shadow magic. The most important thing was, he could sense his host and not the Pharaoh's host. If he could get his host, then he could claim the other Millennium Items and then rule the world as he wanted, without Zork dictating what was going to happen and the Pharaoh's host intervening. It felt so free without Zork invading his mind, controlling his thoughts. Zork had been a part of him for so long that he'd forgotten what it was like before Zork was around.

He picked up his ring and hung it around his neck. It blending in with the image of the ring that was always projected. Using the shadows to hide the item. He was already invisible to everyone except Daniel Jackson. He would have to be extra careful to avoid the doctor of archaeology. He continued wandering through the halls and avoiding anyone that may cause problems. His host was close, it was so tempting to possess him from this distance, but that would make the ring vulnerable. He needed to be closer to Ryou first.

He took his time finding out about his current location. Listening to the people of the base. Looking for routes to and from the other Millennium Items. How quick it was going take to get from Ryou to the other items and then to get out from the building. He had a short amount of time, depending on the situation that Ryou was in and his location in this building.

From what he could gather, he was in a top-secret military base in America. How the Millennium Items had ended up in America, he wasn't exactly sure. What he remembered was the Pharaoh and his host completing the ceremony. Crossing over to the afterlife, finally at rest and then being dragged back to the living world with the Pharaoh. He had killed the archaeologist who disturbed his peace. He kept on killing anyone that had put on the ring since. He didn't know how much time had passed since he'd last been with his host. It could have been days or it could have been millions of years. One thing he knew for sure was that it wasn't millions of years since the technology hadn't changed too much or the languages that used by the people who'd picked him up. That was one of the interesting things about being a spirit who'd existed for thousands of years, you get to see the progression of language and culture first hand. The archaeologist who he'd allowed to live, he would have a field day with his knowledge or history having lived through it.

He should have continued going through Daniel Jacksons through more thoroughly. He'd got excited when he'd seen his host as a child within the doctors memories. The man did not look like he'd aged more than fifteen years, that meant he had a high chance of his host still being young and agile. Daniel Jackson had been an interesting person, he would have let him live temporarily to be his host for that reason. No one could be his permanent hosts but Ryou. Using anyone else as a host just felt wrong. Like wearing an itchy knitted jumper that was far too small or underwear that rode up regularly and pitched. Then he had the hosts that seemed too baggy and loose to wear their body long term. Ryou was the only host that felt right. It didn't even feel like he possessed someone when he commanded Ryou's body. It was as if he had his own body back. Everything felt, looked, smelled, sounded and tasted right when he was in Ryou's body.

He wasn't sure what to do once he had control of the Millennium Items. He never wanted world domination, that had been Zorks plan. His goal had been to get revenge on the Pharaoh and his priests who'd order the death of his family and village in order to complete the ritual to create the items. The thieves, murderers and rapists who made up the majority of the village. They'd also butchered the elderly who'd managed to survive the cruel world to be killed in the most brutal way. The innocent men and woman who ended up in the village as slaves or hostages who never had their ransom paid. The innocent men and woman who had the misfortune of being born into a criminal village despite not following in their ancestors footsteps. Worst of all the children who were not old enough to decide on what path in life they were going to take. The only thing he knew was he wanted to keep the items away from the Pharaoh and the Pharaoh's host. He needed to find a way to put his families spirits to rest.

Once he was happy with the location of everything in the base, he walked towards his host's location. He was being guarded by two men. He was able to draw enough power from Daniel Jackson to put both men to sleep. He tried opening the door without any luck. He searched both men but didn't find a key. He opened the meal flap and pushed the ring through.

His host was on the other side and put the ring around his neck. Everything felt right, his power was returning. He got to work on attempting to open the door once again. This time a lot easier with Ryou's body. His spirit image changed, he no longer looked liked his ancient self. He once again looked like his chosen host. Wearing khaki green pants and a black tank top.

Through the other side of the door, he could hear the men he knocked unconscious waking. He tucked the ring into his shirt, letting Ryou take control. Slipping back into the Shadows. The men entered the room and held out a weird gun like object that looked like a child's toy. Blue sparks came out the gun, Ryou wasn't able to dodge in time. His chosen host fell to the floor, his own vision going black. The ancient spirit retreated to the ring before he fell unconscious.

SG-1

When he came to he was no longer with his host, he was also outside of the ring. The mind link with his host was still weak; it was only a thin thread. One thick enough to feel his hosts presence, but too thin to communicate through. He tried to return to the ring but found he couldn't. He walked over the ring sitting on the table. He couldn't touch it. A force field was preventing him from reaching the ancient artefact that housed his soul. He didn't know what magic or scientific method it was. His felt weak from being separated from the Ring like this. In the thousands of years that he'd existed as a spirit he'd never been separated from the Ring in this way before. He'd only ever been temporarily separated when he'd been sent to the shadow realm. Even then, he still had a connection to the ring. His head was hurting because of the separation he currently felt.

Daniel Jackson was in the room with a woman he had not seen before. He walked around the room. The woman was following him. She could see him. How could she see him? He didn't know how she could, but assumed it was related to the fact he couldn't access his ring.

" _What have you done to me?"_ He asked, sticking to his ancient dialect. He didn't want to give away that he could speak the modern languages.

Daniel translated for the woman, he waited patiently.

"It's a technology gifted to us by an alien race. It will not allow you to touch the Millennium Item or leave this room." The woman replied.

The spirit attempted to keep his face blank of emotion until Daniel translated for him. Then he cursed freely.

He walked to the doorway that he'd noticed was kept open. He couldn't walk through the door. He was trapped in this room, outside of his ring. He cursed freely.

" _What do you mean by aliens? From across the sea?"_ The thief asked.

 _"Other planets,"_ Daniel replied. He translated for the woman after he'd answered.

The thief scoffed. As if aliens were real. Now monsters from another dimension parallel to their own were real as was magic, but aliens from outer space were not.

"He doesn't believe aliens from other planets are real," Daniel told the woman he now knew was called Sam.

"I hate not being able to speak the same language, makes this so much harder. Ask him why he now looks like Mr Bakura?" Sam asked of Daniel.

He hated this waiting game of translations before answering questions, but he would win the game that he'd started.

" _Figure it out for yourselves. I'm not answering._ " He smirked. He wouldn't answer their questions so quickly. " _How come the woman can see me? Is it because of the magic you use?_ "

" _It's not magic, it's modern technology, created by science. Magic isn't real. How come you're not asking why I can see you?_ "

" _You can see me because you put on the ring. I assure you, magic is very real. Not everything has a scientific explanation._ " The thief smiled.

The scientist kept asked him questions which Daniel would continue translating. He got to the point that he stopped talking. He was bored. But he wasn't going to ask them for entertainment. Eventually, they left him alone. He couldn't leave the room, or touch the ring. His Shadow Magic was also limited being cut off from the Ring. He still had a small amount of his own magic, but would leave that in reserve for when the time came. He would eventually escape, but for now, he would wait.


	7. SC - USA

**Stargate Command - USA**

Ryou couldn't work out if the Thief King coming to his cell and handing him the ring had been a dream or reality. It had felt so real. After weeks of being locked up in the same room, he was starting to hallucinate. It was the same old same old every day. Sam, Daniel and Janet would often come to talk to him. Occasionally he was joined by a large man with a golden tattoo on his forehead that represented the serpent god Apophis. The man didn't talk much, he often sat in the room in silence, meditating. Ryou wasn't sure why he did that, but he didn't get a bad vibe from the man. Something about his presence was calming.

They had stopped asking for him name and history. Ryou suspected whoever was holding him had found his identity and were now trying to see how crazy he was. That was one reason he didn't want to tell them his name. They would see his questionable mental health and just write him off as a loon, or lock him up in jail for the rest of his life for the things that his Yami had done while in control of his body. His Yami was in the building somewhere. The slight connection was the only thing he had that suggested what had happened had not been a dream. His Yami was real and that connection was slightly reassuring. Was he a nut case if he wanted his Yami back despite everything the ancient spirit had done?

He glanced up as Sam and Daniel entered the room. He could feel his Yami's presence on them. From wherever they'd just come, they'd recently been in the presence of the Millenniums Ring and his Yami.

"Ryou Bakura," Sam greeted him.

Ryou forced a smile. He'd been correct, they had found his identity. They were holding a backpack. His backpack. With his belongings. If it had his duel disc, still. If they didn't know what it was, he had a chance for Kaiba finding his current location. The duel disc technology contained a chip that beamed your location regularly. Kaiba wasn't meant to track anyone unless they were in a duel. The likes of himself, Yugi, Joey and the Ishtar's and a few others of Yugi's duellist friends had signed a permission form for him to track their duel discs at all time. He'd didn't mind Kaiba knowing his location. Kaiba was a good person and wouldn't misuse the information that he'd gained. Joey had surprised everyone that he'd signed the permission for considering how much he complained about hating Kaiba. Nevertheless, that showed how much trust Joey had for Kaiba despite not liking him.

"How much do you know?" Ryou asked them.

"That you escaped a mental hospital. The footage was interesting." Daniel replied.

"Are you going to take me back to the mental hospital?" Ryou asked with concern.

"Why would we take you back? From what we've seen while you've been here, you have no reason to be in a mental health facility." Daniel replied. "If you belong there then I also belong there."

Ryou looked at Daniel with confusion. He had seen no reason for Daniel to be locked up in a mental health facility. However, looks could be deceiving. Some of the people he'd met appeared completely normal until they snapped.

"I believe that aliens are real. I used to do lectures to the archaeological community about my research of how aliens were involved in Egypt. That the pyramids were landing pads for spaceships. I got laughed out of the archaeological community." Daniel told him.

Ryou smiled. "The archaeological community doesn't exactly like people who think outside of the norm. If I ever voiced my beliefs about certain facts they probably wouldn't allow me to continue my studies."

"What are your beliefs?" Daniel asked with genuine curiosity.

"The condensed version is that some forms of magic are real. That the Egyptian gods are creatures from a dimension parallel to our own." Ryou replied.

Daniel recited some of Ryou's history. "Studying Archaeology at Domino City University in Japan. Your primary teacher is Professor Lemaire. He's a good friend of mine. I haven't spoken to him recently. What do you think he would say about you?"

"That I'm a good student, but have been distracted from my studies in the past few months," Ryou replied with a shrug.

"Why have you been distracted?" Sam asked.

"Because I knew the Millennium Items had been disturbed," Ryou replied.

"How did you know?" Sam asked.

"That magic I was talking about before, I have a small amount of control over magic. It is stronger when I have a Millennium Item." Ryou told them. "When the items were disturbed, I felt it because of the magic."

"What can you do?" Sam asked.

"Read tarot cards accurately. If I don't have tarot cards, I can use Duel Monster cards in their place. I'm actually better with Duel Monster cards then tarot cards. If those Duel Monster cards belong to the person, I'm doing a reading for my predictions are even more accurate."

Sam looked at him in disbelief. Daniel, on the other hand, seemed intrigued. Daniel pulled his extra Duel Monsters out of his bag. "Can you attempt a reading for me?"

Ryou nodded, hoping that he had enough control over the shadows for an accurate reading. He shuffled and placed the cards and examined the cards for several moments before talking.

"You're looking for your wife who was forcefully taken from you. She is currently lost at the moment within herself. You will find her for a short time and experience a new life. She will then disappear once again for several months before you will find her again, but it will not be the happy conclusion you are hoping for." Ryou told him slowly. "I'm sorry Doctor Jackson, I hope I'm wrong about your wife ... if you have a wife." He started apologising. "Not everything I predict is accurate. I was more accurate when I had the Millennium Items. I mean here it says you've physically died twice. There is no way that you've actually died."

Daniel and Sam looked at each other and then back at Ryou. "What else can you do?"

"I can summon the monsters from the other dimension I mention before," Ryou told them. "Or at least, I used to be able to. The doorway was closed, but has recently been open again." He shuffled through his cards for something that was cute and fluffy which wouldn't cause any damage, or scare anyone. He summoned "Happy Lover."

The monster cooed and smothered him. " _I missed you as well,_ " he told the monster in Japanese.

"Can I touch it?" Daniel asked.

Ryou whispered to the monster, and it shyly went towards Sam and Daniel. It allowed them to pat him.

"That's amazing," Sam exclaimed. Patting the monster. "I've never seen anything like this before."

The creature disappeared from sight. A loud thump was heard. Ryou had collapsed to the floor.

YGO

Ryou woke up to beeping machines. He looked around and found he was once again in the medical facility.

"You gave us a fright passing out like that," Janet told him. "How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts," he replied to the doctor. "I feel tired, but I will be fine."

"You go rest, I'm just going to tell Daniel and Sam you're awake," she told the young man.

It only took a few moments for Sam and Daniel to return with the big tattooed man who rarely spoke.

"Do you know what happened?" Daniel asked him.

"I used too much magic. I thought I could handle it, but it has been a few years since I last tried that. I thought I would be okay since I summoned a smaller monster." Ryou told him. "It takes a lot of energy to summon a Duel Monster and keep it in this plane of existence. In the wrong hands, the Millennium Items can be used to destroy the world. If you try to command them and don't have the power to control them, they destroy you."

"Aren't you afraid that they will kill you?" Sam asked him.

"If they were going to destroy me I would've been dead long ago." Ryou yawned.

"Get more sleep, we'll talk again when you wake," Janet told him. She gave a look to Daniel and Sam to let them know them know that questioning of her patient was over.


	8. Domino City

**Domino City - Japan**

SG-1 got off the plane in Japan, if felt odd for the team to be doing recon on Earth since they didn't do that often. The group was visiting Japan to find out more about Ryou Bakura. Daniel and Teal'c were heading to the University to interview Ryou's teacher. Jack was going to talk with Ryou's family, and Sam was going to try to speak with Seto Kaiba. All thankfully spoke English so did not require translators to go with Jack and Sam though they both had a translator with them anyway.

Daniel Jackson walked through the university; he had already arranged to speak with the professor before he had left for Japan, he didn't want to waste a journey if the professor wasn't around for him to speak with.

"Dr Jackson, it's been many years," Doctor Lambert greeted him. "Last I heard was that you'd died."

"My death was greatly exaggerated," Daniel greeted his old associate. "I went off the grid to rethink everything. I did not realise I would be declared dead in the meantime." He lied. It was a lie he'd been required to tell for many years. He'd been declared dead more than once. "Do you know how much paperwork you have to fill out when you've been falsely declared dead?" Not about the paperwork part, that had been a nightmare and having to fill those papers out more than once.

"I can only imagine." Dr Lambert laughed. "You needed that time to yourself after what the Academy did to you. I did not support them, we all have our own theories that other believed to be outrageous. What are you doing these days?"

"I'm working as a consultant with the United States Military. I mostly work with other scientists, translations mostly." Daniel replied, not elaborating what he did.

"Talking about what you do now is not what you are here for." Dr Lambert replied, getting him back on track for his visit.

"No, it's not." Daniel confirmed.

"How did you manage to come across Mr Bakura? I knew he'd gone on holidays in America. I was concerned when he didn't return after the break." Dr Lambet asked.

"He accused the military of stealing this from him." Daniel pulled out a picture of the Millennium Ring.

"The Millennium Ring, I've seen pictures of Mr Bakura with that item before." Dr Lambert replied. "One of a kind. From what I've heard, he got it as a gift from his father. It's not uncommon for archaeologists to gift their children items from digs that honestly should be in museums. Is Ryou in trouble? I've never seen him play up before but was warned by his father and several other professionals that I shouldn't take him as a student. That he is dangerous."

"Everything should be fine, he is cooperating. But he cannot leave America for the time being." Daniel told the other man. "We are trying to find out more about his past, make sure he is who he says he is."

"What do you want to know?"

"How is he as a student?"

"Well behaved, did well in all his classes. His grades did slip slightly before the holidays, same with Mr Moto, he's Mr Bakura's closest friend at the school. I knew something was concerning both boys, what that something was they would not talk about it around me. Mr Moto hasn't been doing well in class since Mr Bakura went missing. Mr Bakura got along with all the other students especially the girls, he helps anyone he can in classes. I don't know any students or teachers who had any issues with him." Mr Lambert replied. "I know he has problems with his father, it's a shame his father was always a good friend of mine when we used to work together."

"Can I see some of his assignments?" Daniel asked.

"It's quite exceptional. He has a natural talent when it comes to translations, I suspect it may do with growing up bi-lingual." Dr Lambert handed over the papers written by Ryou. "I'm looking forward to the day he starts working in the field full time to see what he comes up with. He censors himself a lot, does not always puts down what he honestly thinks, instead putting down what he thinks a teacher would want to read. He seems to think that his theories will not be taken seriously. I've overheard him talking with Mr Moto several times."

Daniel didn't find out anything the files hadn't pulled up about Ryou. Ryou's assignments, on the other hand, were interesting. He had the makings of an archaeologist. Considering his father was an archaeologist as was his mother it wasn't too surprising. He knew of several children that had followed in their parents footsteps and that wasn't even including himself.

Daniel glanced over at Teal'c, who was now talking to a teenager with the most unusual hair Daniel had ever seen. There was no way his hair could be natural.

"Ah, that is Mr Moto. He's Ryou's friend I mentioned before." Dr Lambert pointed out. "Dr Jackson, please look after Ryou. I want him back in one piece eventually, he's one of my top students. I am glad to hear that he is well, I was worried. You should talk to Mr Moto, he would like to know his friend is safe."

"I'll let him know Dr Lambert," Daniel replied. "Thank you for your assistance today."

"If you need anything else, just ask." Dr Lambert replied.

" _Are you Yugi Moto?_ " Daniel asked the young man.

" _I am,_ " Yugi replied. " _Are you a Duel Monsters fan?_ "

 _"Ah, no I don't follow duel monsters. I'm an associate of Dr Lamberts. My Name is Dr Jackson._ " Daniel replied. " _He mentioned that you are friend with a young man Ryou Bakura, I was hoping I could talk to you about him._ "

Yugi instantly turned to the defensive. " _What have you done to him? You haven't hurt him have you?_ "

" _He is unharmed. What do you know about this item?"_ Daniel asked showing him a picture of the Millennium Ring.

" _That it is very dangerous and that if you have it, you should have left it where it came from. You don't know what you are playing around with_ " Yugi warned him. " _Don't ever put the ring on. It will kill you and if it doesn't kill you, you'd wish that it had._ "

" _Really, what makes you say that?_ " Daniel asked.

" _It's a long story, do you have time?_ " He told Daniel.

Daniel confirmed that he did. He followed Yugi to a local cafe and listened to the University student told him the story of the Millennium Items. Yugi showed him pictures and tablets that told the same story. Those tablets had formally been held in the Domino Museum. Currently, they were in Egypt with Miss Ishtar. He needed to talk to her if he wanted to see the originals. He got a lot more information from Yugi Moto then he got from Ryou. Apparently, Yugi had owned the Millennium Puzzle, the upside down pyramid. He told him about completing the puzzle, fighting duels to keep ownership of his puzzle. That modern day duel monsters were created by Maximillion Pegasus based on an ancient Egyptian game.

He thanked Yugi for his time. " _Your friend is safe; it shouldn't be too long before you see him again,_ " Daniel told him.

" _Keep him safe. Ryou and the items, stay safe from the items."_ Yugi told Daniel. " _It was nice meeting you both._ "

Daniel nodded. It was time for him to meet up with Sam and Jack. He hoped they'd had a productive day as he did.

SG-1

Jack didn't like these types of trips. He preferred being in the action than telling a man his son was currently in military custody, and they had no clue when he was going to be released. Mr Bakura had agreed to talk with him right away.

"I don't speak Japanese, but I understand you speak English. I'm here to talk to you about your son Ryou." Jack told the man once they were both seated.

"What has he done this time?" Mr Bakura asked, not at all sounding surprised.

"He wandered into a top secret facility. Once the matter has been sorted out, we will let him go. He is cooperating with us." Jack told him.

"You are better off locking my son up and throwing away the key." Mr Bakura spat. "It would do the whole world a favour."

"What makes you say that? From what I have seen of your son, he's been pleasant and helpful. He was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time." Jack told him. That was not the full truth. Ryou knew exactly what he was doing when he broke into Area-51.

"He's not right in the head, he's a monster. He will seem entirely reasonable for months, even years on end. Then he will snap, and the monster will show itself." Mr Bakura shuddered at the thought of his son. "He can do things that aren't normal. Makes people fall into coma's. Coma's they never wake from. He carves statues of his victims and told me on more than on occasion their souls are trapped in the statues. He brings monsters to life, he can make hallucinations real. I know I sound mad, but it is all true. I tried to get my son help, but he is long gone. Only the monster remains now."

Everything Mr Bakura was talking about sounded his son had become possessed by a larval goa'uld.

"Can you show me these statues?" Jack enquired.

"They are not here, Ryou keeps them with him. They should be in his apartment if he does not have them on person." Ryou's father replied.

"Is it possible for me to see them?" Jack enquired again.

Mr Bakura handed over his keys."I can take you if you'd like."

Jack nodded, he followed the museum curator to the apartment Ryou lives. It was a modest apartment. One bedroom, small kitchenette, living area, and a bathroom. The apartment was filled with books and figurines and dioramas.

"He made most of those himself." Mr Bakura pointed out. He went into the bedroom, opened the cupboard and pulled out an elaborate Egyptian styled box from the back of the cupboard. "These are the ones I'm talking about."

Jack looked at the figurines, they didn't feel right. They looked just looked like the victims of comas that he'd seen in Ryou's file.

"Take them." The man offered.

Jack was surprised. He thought he'd have to find another way to get the figurines. The thought that someone could actually remove the soul of a person and place it in a wooden toy just seemed so unbelievable. But with what he'd experienced since the beginning of the Stargate programme, he knew not to discount anything anymore, no matter how insane it sounded.

He took photos of the apartment. Everything was so tidy for a young bachelor. Everything looked normal. Nothing even suggesting the young man was planning to break into Area-51. He picked up a book. Hand written in Japanese.

"Those are Ryou's journals." My Bakura told him. "Ryou's been keeping them since his mother died."

"Can I take these as well?" Jack enquired.

Mr Bakrua nodded. "Thank you for your help," Jack told him when he was ready to leave. He returned to his hotel room with the translator, he dismissed her after the boxes were unloaded and started organising the personal artefacts of Ryou's he'd taken. Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c still hadn't returned. He was the first one finished.

SG-1

Jack had dozed off after he'd finished sorting everything into different piles. He was awakened by Daniel and Teal'c returning.

"How did your meeting go?" Daniel enquired.

"The man's an arsehole, was all too happy to help incriminate his own son. The only good thing was, it was a cakewalk to get anything we needed. I have young Mr Bakura's journals, a photo album and most importantly figurines of his apparent victims. I've been matching them to the profile photos. There are extra's here to what we have on file, a lot of extras. What is in the box does not match the dimensions of the outside of the box. Teal'c, ever seen anything like this before?"

"I have not," Teal'c replied.

Daniel looked at the different figurines, talking excitedly about how they showed different periods of time and different cultures. "These can't all be from this time period. Some of these have to be centuries old. Possibly belonging to the previous hosts of the Ring Spirit."

Daniel and Jack updated each other on what they'd found that they. Waiting for Sam to return. When she did return she was with the woman Daniel wanted to speak with. Ishizu Ishtar.

YGO

Kaiba was looking up the file for Samantha Carter, the woman from the United Stated Air Force, who wanted to talk to him. At first, he thought it was in regards to his weapons technology which was no longer on the market. It wouldn't be the first time he had someone enquiring about the military technology that Kaiba Corporation no longer sold. Or interfacing his holographic technology for military purposes. Looking further, it was possible she was here to talk about Ryou Bakura. She worked in the location Ryou Bakura's duel disc had been broadcasting from for the past week. Whomever she worked for, it was top secret, and not even he could get through all the encryptions protecting their systems. He probably could get through them with time, but wasn't sure how much he could do without tipping off their systems. From the little he'd seen, it was unlike anything he'd seen previously.

He had to inform Yugi of what Ryou had attempted, and that it had gone wrong when Ryou didn't return from his holidays in America. How it had gone wrong - he still was not sure. Considering what he'd tried, many things could have gone wrong. He kept Captain Carter waiting for most of the morning. Testing her to see if she had the patience to wait around. Finding everything, he could before their meeting. He wanted to have the upper hand during their meeting. She was frustrated when he finally called her in.

"I'm a busy person Captain Carter, this better be important _,_ " he said to the woman in English.

"I wouldn't fly all the way from America to Japan if it wasn't important Mr Kaiba," Captain Carter replied. She glanced at his computer screen with her background history on it. He turned the laptop towards her. "I have my ways of finding out what I want to know."

"As do I Mr Kaiba," she replied. Pulling out his own file. "A fascinating read. It took longer to get your childhood records then your current records."

Seto picked up the file she had on him, flicking through it. She was good. No one else had ever thrown his own records back at him before. She had information from his childhood that he had difficulty gaining access to. His adoptive father had all his records sealed when he'd been adopted.

"What is it you want Captain Cater?"

"We recently caught a young man breaking into Area-51. We know that you're involved. I want to know why?" Carter accused him. She managed to bring up the training footage he'd taken of Ryou practising for his Area-51 break in. "I want to know what you gain by helping to steal ancient artefacts."

"If you had all your research, you would know that Mr Bakura previously owned one of the items he attempted to steal." He pulled up a picture of Ryou Bakura with the Ring. "Mr Yugi Moto owned the Puzzle." He pulled out the next photo of Yugi and the next one of Ishizu. "The Ishtar family have owned the necklace and the rod for many generations. It has been passed down in their line since the times of ancient Egypt. And Mr Pegasus previously owned the eye and did so for many years. The only two items not accounted to anyone was the key or ahnk and the scales. If you were to believe Ishtar, Yugi and Bakura they would have you believe they were in the hands of an ancient spirit called Shada who watched over the items, he judges those who come into possession of the items. If he believes are worthy to have the items you will leave you with them, if they are no he takes them back into his possession, the consequences of that are not always good, depending on the circumstances." Sam picked up the photos, looking over them all carefully. "If you paid attention, you would know that I paid for a dig in Egypt six years ago in the area those items were recently recovered from." He played the satellite footage he had of them loading the truck. "Those items were returned to the temple, their final resting place. They were not to be disturbed." He then showed them footage from the time Yugi completed the ritual. Placing the items back into the tablet.

"You've known from day one. How did you find out so quickly?" Sam asked him.

"Do you believe in past lives?" A woman asked. Sam turned to see who spoke. The woman from the photo who'd previously owned the tauk if the photographs were to be believed. "Those of us who have lived a past life with a connection to millennium items felt the disturbance of the millennium items. I am the reincarnation of Priestess Isis, who was the previous owner of the Millennium necklace. Seto Kaiba was the reincarnation of Priest Set. Yugi Moto is the reincarnation of the Pharaoh we served under, Pharaoh Atem. He is recorded in history and the unnamed Pharaoh between his father Pharaoh Aknamkanon and his cousin Pharaoh Set, formally Priest Set.

"What about this Mr Pegasus and Shada who Mr Kaiba mentioned having the other items?" Sam asked her.

"Pegasus is not a reincarnation, he was chosen by the gods to bring Duel Monsters to the era the Pharaoh and priests reincarnations had been reborn into. Shada was the former Priest, who held the ahnk. When he died, he became a spirit guardian of the Millennium Items. I am unsure if he has awoken when the items were disturbed. I saw him when I was a girl, just before I took ownership of the tauk. He judges all of us, even those of us who are destined to bear the items."

"What about Ryou Bakura, is he also a priest?" Sam asked.

"He is different from the rest of us. Ryou Bakura is the reincarnation of our enemy in our past life. The King of Thieves. What his name was in his previous life none of us know. His spirit is infused with the Millennium Ring." Ishizu told her the story of the Millennium Items and their creation. She told Sam about the Tomb Keepers clan who'd watched over the Pharaohs secrets for centuries, waiting for a time he would be reborn, and the items went to rest. "My clan are starting to question if the Pharaoh is the reincarnation. They believe we should have never handed over the two items our family has guarded for centuries."

"What she says is give Ryou back along with all seven of the Millennium Items and the tablet," Seto told her. "I lived through a lot of unbelievable times as a result of those items. I really don't want to deal with that nonsense again. Do you know how difficult it is to cover up monsters invading from a different dimension and pass it off as a holographic malfunction?"

"Haven't had that exact scenario, but close enough that I have an idea of what it is like," Sam replied.

"I know where Ryou Bakura is. If you don't hand him and the items over, I will recover them myself." Kaiba threatened.

"We can't hand him back yet. You have no idea what those items really are. They are dangerous as you say, but for a different reason. A classified reason." Sam replied to his threat. "We will keep you updated in the meantime. If you try anything, that will give us, even more, reason not to hand him back..."

He dismissed Captain Carter, not wanting to listen to her any longer.

"Captain Cater, my I come with you. I believe Dr Jackson wishes to talk with me. This will make it far easier if I go to him rather then he come to me."Ishizu requested.

Sam nodded. She knew that Daniel already wanted to speak with her, more now after listening to her story.

SG-1

"Daniel Jackson, I believe you wish to see the exhibit dealing with the Millennium Items." Ishizu greeted the man.

"I did, but I hadn't told anyone that yet." Daniel replied. "How did you know?"

"I have a gift in fortune, that gift if stronger when I wield a millennium item." Ishizu replied. "I had the exhibit moved back to Japan, it is currently at the Domino Museum. I knew you wished to look at the exhibit and that you would eventually come to Japan seeking answers. You do not have time to also go to Egypt to look at the tablets you need to see. Shortly you will be facing a large trial."

"Can you also summon monsters?" Jack enquired.

"I can, but it takes a lot of energy to do so," Ishizu replied. "Up until recently the shadows have been sealed. I could not summon them at all."

"Shadows?" Sam and Jack enquired at the same time.

"One of us will need to say here." Jack indicated to the stuff they had collected during the day. He didn't want to risk losing anything from Ryou Bakura. "I'll stay behind. You, three kids, have fun."

"You just don't want to go because it's a museum." Daniel teased. Sam nodding in agreement.

Ishizu brought SG-1 with her the-the museum for a more detailed explanation of the origins of Duel Monsters.


	9. The Stargate Base- USA

**The Stargate Base- USA**

Daniel wanted to confirm that the spirit hadn't caused any trouble while he'd been away. He entered the room finding the spirit more translucent than before he'd left for his trip to Japan. He was floating in the air clearly asleep, still looking similar to Ryou Bakura. He looked so peaceful while he was asleep. The spirit was also looking more like Ryou Bakura then the last time he'd seen him. The spirit was mumbling in his sleep, the same was Ryou mumbled. " _Need to find light."_ In Japanese. "Need to find hikari." This time in English, besides the word hikari which was still in Japanese. The word light. He kept going between his ancient dialect, English and Japanese.

He sat and watched the spirit as he slept, hoping to learn more about him. He was not disappointed.

" _I am not your puppet Zork, I am free._ " He heard the murmur now in Japanese. He seemed to favour Japanese over the ancient language he spoke when was awake.

He muttered about Zork multiple times. Daniel didn't know who Zork was, it sounded like the name of a villain from a cartoon or movie or maybe he was referring to the old text-based PC game?

" _You will not steal my hikari Zork. He is mine! I need him alive, you will not hurt him!_ " The spirit said quite dramatically before waking up.

"I know you can speak English and Japanese. You were talking in your sleep." Daniel confronted the spirit.

" _I blame my host for that habit. He talks in his sleep all the time._ " The spirit replied in Japanese. He didn't appear to be bothered about being caught out in being able to speak more than his ancient language.

"Something of the host survives?" Daniel asked him.

"Of course, he's always in the back of my mind even when I have full control." The spirit replied with a heavy Japanese accident, very different from Ryou. Ryou's accent when he spoke English was English. "Usually, he's asleep when I have full control, but not always. Those times are the most entertaining; when he is trying to take control back himself. That is what this scar is from." He held up his hand. A scar that was exactly the same as Ryou's. "My chosen host managed to gain control of this hand one, so I ran it through. He has a strong will. I have had a lot of fun playing with him. He is the youngest host I have ever had. Some of my past hosts, I completely destroyed their minds by just taking them over for the first time. They all died in the end."

"Will Ryou die?" Daniel asked with concern.

"If I have my way, he will die of natural causes, hopefully, old age. He is the only one who will survive with me around. My last host. There will be no more hosts after he dies." The spirit told him.

"Why?" Daniel asked him.

"That is none of your concern. Is there a point to this? What do you want?" The Thief snapped. Losing patients with small talk.

"I came to check if everything is alright," Daniel told him. "Why are you so translucent?"

"Because you have cut me off from the ring." The spirit snapped. "It's a rather dull existence. Not able to touch anything, leave this room, or return to my ring. Just existing."

The spirit yawned and fell back to sleep. It looked like to Daniel he was struggling to stay awake. He left the room, making sure everything was secure before he left.

SG-1

"Sam, any idea what Zork is?" Daniel asked his fellow scientist from SG-1.

"An early text-based computer game. I used to play it all the time with my brother. Why?" Sam replied.

"The ring spirit keeps mentioning Zork when he's sleeping. I don't think it's the computer game." Daniel told her. "The way he keeps referring to Zork, I think he' a goa'uld. He's not any goa'uld I've ever heard of before."

"Considering how many goa'uld larva and Jaffa carrying them it isn't surprising that you haven't heard of him if he is a goa'uld," Sam told him. "So you don't think the spirit is a goa'uld?"

"I think he was merged with a goa'uld for so long that he doesn't know who the real him is. He actually seems to care about Mr Bakura. He wants to protect him from Zork." Daniel pondered.

"Do you really think they are reincarnations like they claim?" Sam asked him. "As a scientist, I find it hard to believe."

"But considering some of the things we have seen is it really that farfetched?" Daniel continued.

"Exactly," Sam replied. "I don't know what to expect anymore, even from our own planet."

YGO

The guard hadn't let up and Ryou had mostly been left on his own in the room. Janet had given him a few books to read. From what he was able to gather from listening to the whispers in the hallway was that SG-1, the team that Sam and Daniel belong to were currently in Japan. He still didn't know what they were going to do with him. He'd been here for close to a month already. He didn't think they knew what to do with him either. He had seen things at Area-51 that he should not have seen. He'd also had heard alarms going off for emergencies on a regular basis. Occasionally people would run off. For whatever the emergency was.

He looked up as a man he hadn't seen yet entered the room with Sam and Daniel. The big one who didn't talk often was holding a box, his box. Daniel was holding a couple of his diaries.

"How did you get those?" He asked.

"Your father let us into your apartment," the oldest man explained.

"I really need to change my locks." Ryou replied. "Or move out of the apartment owned by my father."

"Colonel O'Neil." The man introduced himself. "You and your father don't get along. He was all too happy to hand all this over. He hopes that we lock you up for the rest of your life."

"What I don't understand, the Ring has done all these horrible things to you, and these people." Daniel indicated to the box. "Why do you want it back?"

"So that no one else suffers the way I did. Bearing the Millennium Ring is my responsibility. This may sound odd, but I don't feel whole without the Ring, it seems like a part of me is missing." Ryou replied. "I was just getting used to not having the ring when it was disturbed. Now it feels like a part of me is dying every time I am separated from it.

"Come here and sit down." Jack indicated to the chair next to him. "Can you tell me who ever single one of these people are?"

"Most. Be careful with them, those are real people. Each one contains a soul." Ryou warned them. He sat at the table and started to pull them out, separating them into groups.

"All these ones are from before I become the host to the Ring Spirit." Ryou pointed out all the ancient ones and a few modern ones. "These ones were my friends."

"Were?" Sam asked.

"If I could return their souls, I would. Though I know for a fact that not all of them are alive anymore. Would you really want to remain friends with the person who was the reason you became this?"

"You can't seriously believe that they contain the souls?" Sam asked him.

"Their bodies are in comas because their souls are in these dolls." Ryou replied thoughtfully. He continued onto the next group of figurines. "This group are the kids that used to bully me. These are the professionals who tried to help me. These ones simply were in the wrong place at the wrong time. And these ones either did wrong by me or someone else and I'd witnessed it."

"What do you mean by wrong by you?" Sam asked him.

He held up the figurine. "This one was a teacher at Domino High School. I witnessed him sexually assaulting one of the girls I went to school with. I blacked out. When I woke up, the teacher was in a coma. The girl thanking me for helping her." He held up two more figurines that SG-1 all recognised for the file as being his former teachers that were both now dead. "These two were both meant to look after me when I was at school. With him, my father had forgotten to pick me up." He held up the male teacher. "He offered to drive me home. Instead, he drove me to a warehouse. Told me that I was special and that it would be our little secret. That it was hard to believe I wasn't a girl. He attempted to rape me. When I came to, I was standing close to home covered in blood. I never saw him again after that. She also tried to sexually assault me."

He went through, telling them what the ones who had wronged him or someone else and what those sins were.

"How come some of these are cards?" Sam asked him.

"Those souls were captured by the creator of Duel Monsters. Maximillion Pegasus. The spirit won them and the eye from him."

"How did the souls get into the figurines and the cards?" Sam asked him.

"By winning a Shadow Game." Ryou replied. "The Shadow Game didn't have to be the same each time. The Thief King preferred Monster World since that was my best game. He had access to all my memories and skills. The majority of the later ones were captured by playing Duel Monsters. Nevertheless, it could be any game, even one that you made up on the spot. State your rules and the shadows will take the soul of the person who doesn't meet those conditions."

"You really can't return the souls?" the silent man asked him.

"If I did know how to return the souls I would've returned most of them." Ryou replied.

Daniel changed the subject away from soul capturing. The archaeologist brought up photos of his diorama of Ancient Egypt. The one that had been destroyed when the Thief King had lost the Shadow Game. "This is unbelievable. Did you really make it yourself?"

"I did. I wish it wasn't destroyed, that was my best diorama. The Ring Spirit would show me an image of what he wanted me to create, and I would create it. I don't remember much of creating the diorama or figurines. Only flashes. One thing I do know is that it's built to scale of the time that the thief lived in." He pointed to the place near the edge of the diorama. "He came from here Kul'Elna, the people destroyed to create the Millennium Items. The ghosts and spirits are his family, the ones whose deaths created the Millennium Items."

Ryou walked to the box and pulled out a layer that had not previously seen.

"Who are these ones?" Daniel enquired.

"These ones don't contain souls." Ryou told them. "They've been used for two different Shadow games that the Thief lost. These ones were made for the Egyptian diorama. This is what the thief king looked like when he was alive."

Daniel took the small figurine examining it. Before putting it down. He looked impressed.

"These three are Atem, Set, and Isis, who Yugi, Kaiba and Ishizu are reincarnated from. This one is Shada he became the guardian of the items. Have you ever seen him? He usually comes to the people who have the Millennium Items eventually." Ryou them pointed out which ones were people of interest. "These ones are Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Tea and I." He had two of each for those. "The fantasy based ones are from our first Shadow Game. That is when I got this." He pointed to the scar on his hand.

The miniature of Yugi had the puzzle, as did the priests having miniature items.

"You understand why we can't let you have the ring back. Who's to say that you won't go on a killing spree?" Jack told him.

Ryou smiled at them sadly.

"I have an assignment from your teacher. He doesn't want you to fall behind while you're here." Daniel handed over his assignments and a couple of textbooks. "If you need any help with your assignments, I'm happy to help, as are any of the other archaeologists on site. We have experts in many different fields. If you need more text books, just ask."

Ryou nodded. This at least gave him something productive to do while he was here.

YGO

It was a couple of days later when Ryou saw a woman brought to the cell next to his. It was the first time he'd seen anyone else locked up. He watched through the hatch which had been left open. She was beautiful whoever she was.

"Do you really have to lock me up, can't you take me directly to the Stargate?" She begged the man.

"It's protocol ma'am." The soldier replied in a daze. All the men look they were in a daze.

"We are Hathor, your goddess. You cannot lock us up." The woman told the men.

"I really don't want to lock you up Miss Hathor, but I have to." The man told her. He really did look sorry that he had to cuff her and lock her in the room.

He had no clue what a Stargate was that she was looking for. It was the most entertainment he had had recently. His guards didn't even tell him to stand back from the door. They allowed him to keep watching.

The door to her room was closed. One of the soldiers ran off and returned with General Hammond, Daniel and Jack.

He saw them enter her room, but could not hear what was being said once they closed the door.

The woman honestly didn't believe she was the goddess Hathor? Could she? He knew that the gods were real, but she didn't look anything like the gods he had met. She looked human, to human.

The General and Jack were not in the room long before they came out of the room. The General had the same dazed look in his eyes as the soldiers. Jack looked completely normal. Daniel remained behind in the room. Ryou continued trying to evesdrop, but was now no longer able to hear what was being said.

Daniel spent a long period of time in Hathors room before he left, looking even more dazed than everyone else who had been in contact with the woman. He wished that he could ask his Yami what this woman was.


	10. Hathor

**Hathor**

Daniel was only gone for a short amount of time when an airman returned and collected Hathor. When she arrived, she'd been wearing a green overcoat. When she left the room, she was wearing an orange dress. Ryou didn't like what he was sensing from her. Somehow, she reminded him or Zork. He was optimistic with Zork gone that the Thief King could change, that his Yami could become a good person like Yugi's Yami.

Ryou returned to his bed, not liking the presence he was sensing. Something was going to happen, something big. For the first time since he had been here, the men guarding his room left and they did not return. He looked through the door, not seeing anyone around. It was an opportunity he had been waiting for; carefully he began working on the lock, not letting this chance slip by. All that mattered was getting the ring. Once he had the ring and was fully bound to it, they would not be able to take it off him. The Ring Spirit would kill him if they tried to remove it. From what he had seen of the men and woman who worked here, they were good people and would not want him dead. They would do everything they could to save him.

Ryou wandered through the hallways, they were strangely empty. Heading directly for the ring, he would not let anything get in his way. The closer to the rings location he got, the clearer the link became until he could feel the spirit's voice.

"Voice, can you hear me?" He asked.

"Host?" Came the reply. "Did they let you out?"

"No. Something's going on. I'm taking advantage of the distraction to get you back." Ryou replied through the link, not wanting to make any noise in case it drew attention to him. "I don't have much further."

The room the ring was kept in was not even locked. He saw the spirit floating in the air, looking just like him. Though his clothing was from the day the Ring Spirit had tried to get to him. Not the outfit he was currently wearing, which was blue overalls.

"Are you alright?" Ryou asked him.

"No!" The spirit complained. "I can't leave this room and I can't enter the ring. They have some weird force field magic I have never seen before."

Ryou managed to get the ring out of the force field, knocking over whatever had been creating it in the first place. He placed the ring over his head, feeling instantly exhausted as he shared his energy with the depleted spirit. He allowed the spirit to have control. Following behind as the spirit navigated his way through the hallway. The puzzle was locked in a room; it didn't have a force field around it like his ring. The thief placed the puzzle around his neck.

"Oh Pharaoh, can you hear me?" The Ring Spirit asked the puzzle in a taunting tone.

"What are you doing with me Thief?" Yami Yugi came into view, looking like his ancient Pharaoh self.

"You must have felt that the items had been disturbed." The thief replied. "I'm saving your sorry hide."

"You save me?" Atem laughed. "Like that will ever happen. You are my enemy."

"I wish you two wouldn't fight." Ryou replied. Bringing Yami Yugi's attention to him.

"Bakura, are you alright. He hasn't hurt you at all?" Atem asked him.

"No he hasn't. Yami Yugi, we need to the other items." Ryou told him. "Then we can take you back to Yugi."

The Thief King cursed as he used the ring to locate the other items. "They've moved the other items. They are no longer here."

YGO

He ran and hid them as they heard someone walking down the hallway. Even more of the men where dazed then before. The woman looked and acted completely normal.

"What are the women doing?" Atem asked.

"They look like they are getting ready for battle." Ryou replied, looking around the corner. Both where in spirit form and invisible to the people around them and yet they still hid when the woman looked in their direction.

Sam pointer her gun at Ryou's body, as did the rest of the woman. "Mr Bakura, how did you get out? When did you get those?"

"I'm not Ryou," the Thief King replied. "Ryou used this distraction to escape and claim me back as well as the Pharaoh." He held up the puzzle. "But you seem to have removed the other items." He used the ring, the pointers all pointing in the direction of the other five items.

"Can I speak with Ryou?" Sam asked.

The thief glanced at the location Ryou was. He then nodded and handed back control to his host. Ryou almost fell to the ground. The spirit was very weak, weaker then he first assumed. "I'm okay." Ryou told her. "Just feel weak from how much energy was drained from the ring spirit. What is going on? Why are all the men acting like lovesick zombies? Who is that woman that was bought in earlier who claims to be the goddess Hathor?"

Ryou could hear Atem talking. " _The true goddess Hathor is my mother. She is the mother to all Pharaohs._ "

"So if she is the real goddess you would know?" Ryou asked Yami Yugi who nodded that he would.

"Who are you talking to?" Sam asked him.

"The spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, Pharaoh Atem. He was telling me that Hathor is his mother, that he'd know if she was the real goddess or not." Ryou replied.

"So you're not affected in any way, like the other men are?" Sam asked with intrigue.

"I don't think I can be because of the Ring. It protects me from a lot of substances." Ryou replied.

"You're with me while this is going on. Once everything is over, it is back to the cell with you. Those two items go back as well." Sam told him.

The Thief King took control back. "If you attempt to remove either puzzle or ring, he will die. My host is now re-bound to me. The only way to remove either item is by a Shadow Game."

"We'll talk about this later." Sam replied.

Ryou stood aside with Yami Yugi and listened as Sam continued her briefing with the woman, arming them all.

"You will have to do without weapons since you're also a prisoner." Sam told him.

Thief King nodded. Ryou was fully armed already, not that he would inform anyone else.

"Captain Carter." He heard the silent man T call out. All the woman pointed their guns at the large man. "We must speak of Hathor."

"Keep your hands where I can see them Teal'c." Sam told him.

So that was the big guys full name. Teal'c. Ryou had never heard of that name before.

"Do you not trust me Captain Carter?" Teal'c asked her.

"All the men on this base, besides Mr Bakura are under Hathors control from what I can tell. I hate to break it to you Teal'c but you are a male."

"I'm a Jaffa. The goa'uld I carry within me protects me from Hathors powers. It's only together we may stop her."

There was that word again. goa'uld. "Yami's do either of you know what a goa'uld is? Or a Jaffa?" Ryou asked the two spirits.

"Isn't Jaffa the bad guy from the Aladdin movies?" Atem asked.

"Well yes, but I don't think that is the Jaffa he was referring to." Ryou replied.

"Never heard of a goa'uld before." His Yami replied. Yami Yugi nodding in agreement.

"Why is that exactly?" Sam asked Teal'c to continue. The woman and Teal'c unaware of the conversation Ryou and the two spirits where having.

"It is legend among the Jaffa that the goa'uld larva comes from the Queen goa'uld." Teal'c told her.

"And you think Hathor is one of them?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Teal'c replied. "If I'm correct this base will become her nest. From here, she will populate your world with new goa'uld. I cannot permit this to happen. Captain Carter, we cannot permit this to happen."

Sam handed over her weapon. Glad you're with us Teal'c." Sam replied.

"What of Ryou Bakura, why is he not affected?" Teal'c asked.

"Because of the Ring." Ryou's body held up the item, the Ring Spirit imitating him. "You can't take it off me now without killing me. What is a goa'uld? If I'm going to be any use to you, I need to know what I'm helping with."

"A goa'uld is a parasite that can take over the mind with ease." Janet replied. "They are the ones we believe are responsible for creating those item's you are so fond of."

"I know how the items were created. I was there. No gods where involved. Just priests of the Pharaoh." Ryou's Yami told the woman and Teal'c.

YGO

They split into groups. Ryou going with Sam, Janet and Teal'c. He listened as they spoke about things that were highly classified. He sighed, was never going to get out of here since he now knew too much.

The first person they came across was Daniel. He reminded Ryou a little too much of the shadow victims with his blank stare.

Another woman came running down the hallway. "We've found Hathor in the locker room." She announced.

They left Daniel in the room and headed towards the locker room. Hathor was in a bathtub. A screeching sound heard from the bathtub as the water bubbled. The mind-controlled men surrounded them.

Hathor ordered the woman to be taken away leaving Ryou alone with Hathor.

"Mother," Atem exclaimed. "She really is Hathor."

It seemed that the woman in the bathtub was able to see and hear the spirit.

"Look at you Atem, stuck in spirit form, how did you manage that? You where our last true son. We wish that mother could give you a hug. We were devastated when we heard that Zork had killed you." She then looked at Ryou and the Thief Kings spirit. "Zork and his host, the one that killed our last true son. You look even younger then the last time we saw you."

"Zork is dead." The Thief King spat.

"It's a pity, Zork was one of our stronger children. He was meant to make Pharaoh Aknamkanon, your father his host." She referred to Yami Yugi. "He got bored and instead possessed the Pharaoh's brother. Zork was special, more special than any of our children. When he chooses a new host, he still had control over his old host. It was similar to how we have control over men. We have not had a child like that before or since. He then created these items." Hathor referred to the Millennium Puzzle and Ring. "Gave mortals the powers of the gods. Then stirred up a war, taking control of a young boy who witnessed his whole family murdered. Not even taking full control. Whispering in his ear. Encouraging him to take revenge. We did not participate, but we did have fun watching Zork's host, former host and last true son fighting the war. When it was over, we were very bored."

"What type of god are you!" Atem accused her. "Sitting by and letting a war break out because you where bored! Many people died and you did nothing to stop it. I am ashamed to call you my mother."

"If neither of you are Zork, who are you?" Hathor asked, pointing to Ryou and the Ring Spirit.

"I am the former host of Zork, the boy who watched his family murdered. This is my reincarnation, my descendant." The Thief King replied, spitting in her face.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." She replied to Ryou, kissing his hand. Ryou saw the pink haze come out with her breath. He felt the impulse to follow all her orders. The Ring glowed for a moment and he was back to his normal self. "We see that you are immune to our charm." Hathor claimed. "We should make you one of our children when they are ready." She indicated to the bathtub.

"Those things are really tasty." Ryou's Yami told them. "I used to find them in the tombs all the time. They're nasty little blighters. Would try to eat me, but grab them at the base of the neck, hit them on the head and then roast them on a stick."

"I've never even seen these things before." Atem told the other spirit. Ryou nodding in agreement that he had not seen them either.

"If you want to make Ryou yours you will have to beat me in a Shadow Game." The Thief King claimed. "If you win - Ryou and I will become yours. If we win, you will become ours."

"What about my son, Atem?" Hathor asked.

"He is not mine. I cannot offer his existence." The Thief King told her. He walked up to Ryou, holding him possessively. "He on the other hand is mine to do with what I wish."

"You would become ours willingly if I win. We are your god, or course we will win. We accept." The goddess smiled. Confident that she couldn't possibly lose. "We need an audience for our game."

"I agree." The thief smirked. "I will show everyone that you are not the god you claim to be. That I am above god, just like I am above the living gods."


	11. Gate Room

**Gate Room**

Hathor gathered the men who were under her control, leading them to a room with housed a large circular monument and a sarcophagus. Hathor stood at the base of the monument, the men surrounding them Ryou.

"What is that thing?" Ryou asked.

"This is the chappai." The woman replied, running her hand along the monument.

"Isn't that's the gate to the gods?" Atem asked the goddess. "I've only ever heard about it in stories my father told me as a child. That is was closed off to us mortals by Ra himself."

"That is correct little Pharaoh, our husband Ra closed the gates trapping us here," Hathor replied. She then turned her attention to the men, they all knelt before the false god. "This young man is battling me for the right to become my first new child. Watch your Queen put this her child in his place."

"You choose the game goddess." Yami Bakura smirked.

"Of course, I choose, we are your god after all mortal." Hathor walked around Ryou, glancing at the young man with the two spirits.

"I have no god," Yami Bakura taunted.

"You are not my god, you are a false god." Yami Yugi lectured the woman. "I only follow the true gods."

Hathor paced the room, looking regal as she did.

"You're game goddess," Yami spat. "If you do not name one then both your souls are forfeit. I haven't had fun in a long time, that would be such a disappointing way to win.

"Do you know how to play Senet?" Hathor asked. "We have not played Senet is such a long time. We used to play with the little Pharaohs. Do you remember playing little Pharaoh?"

Yami glared at her but didn't answer. Ryou gave the other Yami a sad smile.

"I know how to play Senet, is that your game?" Bakura asked with a grin.

"That is our game," Hathor asked. "We do not have any pieces. If you cannot provide them, your souls are forfeit to us."

"The pieces will not be an issue," Bakura replied with a roll of his eyes and activated the shadow magic for the game.

"You've grown powerful former host of Zork," Hathor commented as she examined the table that had appeared for them to play Senet. Hathor looked at her host who had appeared next to her. Looking sad and pathetic.

"You need to stay here," Bakura said to Ryou who wanted to go over and help Hathors host. "She will be ours soon enough."

Atem looked regal as he stood next to the pair watching the woman who was his biological mother. Hathor and the Thief King both took a seat.

"You make the first move goddess," Bakura spat.

Hathor, crossed her legs as she sat down and began the game which would determine her life.

YGO

"This is the oddest soul I have ever won." The Thief King held up the goa'uld. He held the other soul, the one belonging to the woman, the host body. She was goa'uld was millions of years old. The host body was thousands of years old and very glad to be free of the other soul even if it meant the cost of her own life.

"Do you think Zork was one of those goa'uld things?" Ryou asked his ancient spirit.

"I believe so." The thief replied angrily. "I hate that my life was controlled by Zork for so long. That he manipulated everything from such a young age. I never got the chance to be my own person."

"Can you return her soul?" Ryou referred to Hathors host. "Give her an opportunity to be her own person? You want to prove you're better than her. Be your own person. Start by returning the souls of the innocent people who didn't deserve their souls stolen. Starting with her."

"Bakura is right Yami Bakura." The Pharaoh agreed. "Biologically, that woman is my mother. I would like the chance to meet her, the real her. Not the one that was victim to a false god. The real gods would be angry to know that this imposter stole her identity."

Yami Bakura walked towards the unconscious woman. He placed his hand on her chest, willing the soul to return. She woke slowly, crying. Yelling that the god's body was still inside her, scratching and pulling at her neck. Atem wished that he could comfort his mother, she could no longer see him now that the shadow game had been won.

The men in the room were looking around in confusion as the effects of Hathor's control lifted.

"What's going on? How did you get out?" The General yelled at Ryou.

"You should be thanking me. I saved you." The thief in control on Ryou's body replied.

The Ring digging into Ryou's chest, he didn't trust the military men and was too weak after being kept outside of the ring for so long. The shadow game he just won had also been rather draining.

One of the men held out the same type gun he'd been hit with last time. He attempted to run but found himself hit, before he'd got very far and fading into unconsciousness in an instant.

SG-1

Daniel came too slowly in Hathors room. He was horrified by what he'd done. He'd slept with Hathor, contributing his DNA to create new goa'uld. The things that were responsible for stealing his wife! He'd created more of. He left the room walking to the locker room, seeing the tub full of the goa'uld larva. It was so tempting to destroy them like he'd recently destroyed the goa'uld larva on Chu'lak.

He could hear shouting from one of the rooms down the hall. He ran towards it, leaving the larva for now. Ryou's door was wide open. The room Hathor had originally been bought to was locked. He glanced through the slot seeing the woman of the SGC in the room.

He opened the door. He wasn't sure what they were doing, but he'd never seen them like that before.

"Sam, Janet. Are you alright?" He asked his teammate and doctor.

"Daniel?" Sam asked. "You're alright?" Sam asked, fixing her shirt.

"Not really. Everything I have done is coming back slowly." Daniel replied. "What are you doing locked up in here?"

"Hathor had all the men in the base under her control. She locked us up in here and the room next door. Teal'c in another room down the hall." Sam replied. "We'd come up with a plan to seduce the men to get us out of here. Clearly, that is no longer required."

"Where is Ryou? Did you let him out? I noticed his room was open." Daniel asked.

"I have no idea how he got out. Daniel, he had the ring and the puzzle." Sam replied as they walked to the rooms the other woman were locked in and then freed Teal'c.

They found Jack carrying an unconscious bleeding Ryou to the infirmary. Hathor was being escorted by the General.

"My god, the ring is embedded into his chest," Sam noted.

"He did that before we hit him with the zat gun. We've been unable to remove it. He was playing a game with Hathor and just won. When Miss Hathor lost the game she collapsed. He walked over and touched her chest, she woke up like this. None of us can understand what she is saying."

"I can understand her," Daniel informed them and translated. "She is apologizing for what Hathor has done with the body. Jack, General. This is the host, Hathors host, Nahid."

Daniel started talking to her slowly. Translating her reply. "She was chosen by the priest in her village when she was still young. She was considered the most beautiful because of her pale skin and red hair. Her birth name Nahid, it means Goddess of wisdom and fertility. The priest believed she was destined to be Hathors host from birth due to her name. That it wasn't a coincidence that she grew to be as beautiful as she is.

"Nahid didn't come from Egypt initially. Her father was an explorer and brought the family with him. She and her mother remained behind after he died. Her mother taking a new husband and a new family.

"She was honoured to become a living god. She watched as she killed her own mother, her step-father and younger siblings with her own hands. Crying to stop, but unable to do anything. Having no control over her body."

"Let's get them both to the infirmary," Janet told them.

Daniel followed them. Explaining to Hathors host what they were going to do with her. Since Ryou was in the most danger, Janet got to work with him first. Sam was also helping Daniel with the Nahid while Teal'c helped Janet. The female nurses were currently going around the base looking for anyone with ill effects from what Hathor had done.

"His vitals are normal," Janet announced. "The ring being embedded in his chest isn't having any ill effects at all." She removed his shirt, cutting away carefully where it was embedded through the shirt. "Look at this, it lines up perfectly with his scars."

The others gathered around. She attempted to move one of the spikes. His vitals went haywire. She then made to remove the puzzle from his neck. The same thing happening.

A young tri colours hair ghost appeared before them.

"He looks like Yugi Moto," Daniel exclaimed. "Are you the spirit of the puzzle? Pharaoh Atem."

" _I don't speak English_." The spirit replied in Japanese. " _Japanese and my own tongue are the only languages I am fluent in. You know of Yugi and my true name?_ "

" _I am Daniel Jackson,_ " Daniel replied in Japanese. " _I meet Yugi recently when I was in Japan trying to find out more about the Millennium Items. I've heard a lot about you from Yugi, Miss Ishtar and Mr. Bakura._ "

" _You must stop trying to remove the items from Ryou Bakura. You will kill him if you keep trying. The Millennium Items are not toys. Only the chosen few can wield the items without consequences. He is one of those few. The items are dangerous and need to go back to the item holders. The item holders are the only ones he can keep them safe, and not miss use the powers. Including the Thief King, the former host to Zork. With Zork gone, the Thief should no longer abuse his powers or his light. Ryou will temporary be home to my soul until I can once again meet up with my light, Yugi. Until that time, I remain with Ryou."_

Daniel translated for the others. "Short version, if we remove either item from My Bakura we kill him."

"He's in no current danger, return him to his room," Janet told the others.

"We should move him to the room the Ring was kept. That way he shouldn't be able to leave." George Hammond ordered.

"I will take him." Teal'c offered.

"I'll go with you Teal'c and make sure the technology hasn't been broken when Mr. Bakura took the item from the room." Sam offered.

Teal'c nodded picking Ryou up and followed Sam through the hallway to the cell.

Daniel stayed sitting with Nadia as she had an MRI, keeping her calm.

SG-1

Janet was in the conference room with General Hammond and SG-1.

"What of Hathors host?" The General asked. "She still has the goa'uld, but it's nothing we have ever seen before. It has relaxed its grip around her spinal cord. In its current state, I believe we can remove it without killing Nadia." Janet informed them. "The one issue we have is we don't know if Nadia would survive without the goa'uld. She has been one for thousands of years."

"Even if it does kill her, Nadia wants' the goa'uld gone. She wishes to die free." Daniel told the General.

"Removed the goa'uld, Dr. Fraiser." The general ordered.

Jack asked, "What happened to the bathtub of baby snakes?"

"They've been kept alive for now g." General Hammond replied. "A few samples have been sealed up and will be sent to the N.I.D. Our scientists have a few samples to experiment on. The rest have been sealed up for a rainy day sir. I don't feel comfortable keeping such a large amount of goa'uld larva alive. We do not have permission to destroy them."

"We should have destroyed them before we made our reports to the Pentagon," Jack replied. "I don't like the thought of them being around."

"I don't either, but they have their uses, like if something ever happens to Teal'c goa'uld again, like on Chu'lak recently." The General replied. "For those purposes, I only want a small number."

"I just keep picturing the whole base taken over by the goa'uld when the mature." Sam voiced her opinion.

"You will find that most of the goa'uld DNA is mine," Daniel told them. He hated saying what he'd done with Hathor while he'd been under her influence. "The goa'uld needs DNA from the species they want to be host to, to better the chances that the host body doesn't reject the goa'uld."

"What of Ryou Bakura, has he woken yet?" The General asked Sam and Teal'c.

Sam replied. "No, sir. One thing we have noticed is one the equipment is on we can see the Spirit of Atem. We could not see the spirit of the ring. Instead, we can see Ryou Bakura's spirit. Atem is conscious, Ryou is not. I have them being monitored and they will tell us when he wakes."

"It's been a long day, you're all dismissed," General replied. "I want you to all stay on base in case anything happens."


	12. Shadow Realm

**Shadow Realm**

Ryou woke in an unfamiliar room, floating just above his body. Any average person would've thought they had died if they found themselves in a corporal form floating above their own body. Ryou was not an ordinary person. He'd shared his body many years with an ancient spirit without knowing and a few aware of the spirit and occasionally finding himself in spirit form. He liked it when he was in spirit form and not stuck in the ring. He looked down, his image projecting the puzzle and the ring around his neck.

"Good morning Bakura," Atem greeted him.

"Morning Yugi. I mean Yami I mean Pha..."

"Atem is just fine as are all the names you just used." Atem smiled at him. "I kept watch while you were both unconscious. We seem to be trapped in this room. I'd like to know everything about how Yugi is and our current situation, but right now I need sleep."

"Yugi is well Yami, back in Japan. I'll wake you if anything happens. Sleep well Yami." Ryou smiled.

He switched control with the spirit currently sleeping in his body. He smiled amused at his Yami sleeping above him. Generally his Yami projected him image exactly, but he didn't have the puzzle around his neck like Ryou did. Ryou walked around the room. He didn't even have a proper bed in this room. He had a mattress on the floor. A table in the centre of the room and none of his books. He walked to the door and called through it. "I just wanted to let the person on the other side know I'm awake." He called out.

The door slot opened. "I'll inform the General."

His talking had woken his spirit.

"Back here again." His Yami complained. "I hate this room."

Finally awake the spirit released the ring from his chest. He looked down, he hadn't even noticed. He'd grown use to that feeling over the years. The Thief King retreated to his soul room.

YGO

Ryou sat at the table with nothing much he could do but wait. He looked up as Daniel, Sam and Janet entered the room. They had food with them.

"How are you feeling Ryou?" Janet asked.

"Better now that I have the ring." Ryou replied. "I feel whole again."

Janet checked him over. "Vitals are normal." She told them after she finished her exam.

"Where are the spirits at the moment?" Daniel asked him.

"In the ring and puzzle sleeping." Ryou replied. "Atem kept watch while I was unconscious."

"Hungry?" Sam asked him.

"I am." Ryou replied with a cheerful smile. He was pushed aside by the Thief King.

"Do you have tea?" The Thief King asked. He didn't even bother with his ancient language any longer. He hadn't had real food in six years.

Daniel and Sam both nodded. They knew how fond Ryou was of tea, but were not expecting it from the ancient spirit. Ryou floated next to him smiling happily.

Ryou hated waking up Yami Yugi when he'd had so little sleep. The ancient Pharaoh didn't seem to bothered about being woken up.

"You can see me, how?" Ryou asked them. "I know my Yami isn't making me visible at the moment. Neither is Yami Yugi."

"Yami Yugi?" Daniel looked at the other spirit.

"You _can call me Atem_." The Pharaoh replied. He could understand a little English from Yugi's English lessons, he could not speak the language. He was using the mind link with Ryou to translate everything he didn't understand. " _Yami Yugi is what I went by before I remembered my name or identity._ "

"You didn't remember who you were?" Daniel asked him.

" _It was a part of the ritual I used._ " The Pharaoh replied. " _The puzzle needs to be handed back over to Yugi. Ryou cannot sustain both myself and the Thief for long term._ "

"What is your name?" Daniel asked the Thief King.

"Don't know and don't care." The spirit replied. "Do you have any more tea?"

"Not at the moment," Sam replied. "What should we call you?"

"I normally go by Bakura." The spirit replied.

"You can call me Ryou if that makes things easier." Ryou suggested. "Though everyone who knew about my Yami usually called us both Bakura anyway."

"I like some of their reactions when they would realise I was in control. Then they would question how long I had been in control. They nearly always guessed wrong, except Kaiba and Ishizu. They are both far too observant, but they didn't bother me too much since they both let me do my own thing. Kaiba because he didn't want to accept I existed and Ishizu because it was a part of my destiny." Yami Bakura smirked. "They mostly called me the evil one."

"Ryou, if you don't mind, I'd like to do a scan of your brain when you're in control and another scan when Bakura is in control," Janet asked him. "We've never come across anything like this before."

"Do you also want to do a scan when Ya ... Atem is in control?" Ryou asked them.

"You can control him?" Janet asked intrigued.

"I can, however I don't like doing it. Anyone who isn't Yugi just doesn't feel right. Everything looks different, sounds different and tastes different."

"Voice, let Atem have control so they can see." Ryou asked the spirit.

Yami Bakura grumbled but allowed the Pharaoh to have control over his host's body. Ryou's eyes changed colour to a shade of violet instead of the reddish brown colour they'd been when Bakura had been in control. His hair spiking slightly more.

Sam, Daniel and Janet seeing the spirit of Ryou and Bakura behind Ryou's body. The main difference between the two spirits was Ryou had the puzzle and the ring. Bakura only had the ring. The hair sat differently and the eyes all a different shade. Atem only kept control for a few minutes before handing control back to Ryou.

SG-1

Ryou smiled at Nadia when they walked past her. Both spirits made themselves visible when they were in the medical centre.

"What is this place?" Ryou asked them. "I saw that big circle thing. Atem called it the gateway to gods. Plus there was a Sarcophagus in that room and there seem to be experiments around this base that are out of this world."

"It's classified," Daniel told him. "We can't say anything. You've seen too much as it is."

Ryou nodded in understanding, not pushing the issue any further. He allowed them to run the tests. His and Bakura's scans were very similar. Atem, on the other hand, you could tell was an entirely different person.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Yugi's results are exactly the same as Atems." Ryou told them when he was looking at the results with the doctor and scientists.

"Why does Atem keep looking at Nadia?" Daniel asked.

"Nadia or Hathor is his mother." Ryou replied.

"Really, I have no idea how we'd even be able to prove that." Daniel sighed. "Pity we can't get DNA from an ancient spirit."

Atem replied to the doctor. " _My physical body is still in my tomb. You would be able to get a DNA sample from that. I'll only tell you where it is if you allow Ryou to give the puzzle back to Yugi._ "

"We have to get authorisation from the General, then ween need to book flights back to Japan, and then a flight to Egypt. It will all take time." Sam told the spirit.

" _Bakura, you now have enough power for Shadow Portals."_ Atem assumed of the other spirit.

He grinned, letting Yami know that he indeed had enough power.

" _In that case, as soon as you get approval, we'll be able to take you to Yugi and then to my tomb,_ " Atem replied.

"None of us saw what you did to Hathor, how did you beat her?" Daniel asked.

"I sent her to the Shadow Realm." The Thief King replied. "Penalty for losing is that I get her soul. I actually won her host's soul as well, the wager was two souls for two souls so she couldn't give up a soul. After I won the souls I am free to do with them as I wish, so I returned her host's soul."

"Where is the soul now?" Daniel enquired.

"In the Shadow Realm with the rest of my collection." Yami Bakura replied. "I can show you, but only after I have my host to myself again."

"Would you be able to do the same to others that are like Nadia?" Daniel asked with excitement lacing his voice.

"The Pharaoh and I both can, just the risk are high since our own lives are at stake." The thief replied in a bored tone.

YGO

Ryou, Yami Bakura and Atem were returned to the room after a complete debriefing on the events from the day before.

"I know we can escape now, but can you just wait it out. I feel like I am on a breakthrough to something big. I want to know what this place is and I believe that they are close to telling us." Ryou told them. Yami agreeing.

YGO

The operation of Nadia had gone ahead. The goa'uld symbiote was removed from Nadia with ease. It didn't even try anything. It was just limp when they removed it, despite still being alive. Nadia didn't have any ill effects from the symbiote being removed despite the fact she'd been alive for a few thousand years.

"What do we do with her now?" Jack asked. "She has no-one. Everyone she once knew is dead and have been for a really really long time."

"First we follow up if she really is related to the ancient spirit." George Hammond told them.

Daniel replied. "From talking with Nadia, she was pregnant with a human child on seven occasions. On all seven occasions, those children became Pharaoh. Atem was the seventh child." Daniel told them. "Whenever she was pregnant, Hathor didn't have any control. She always chooses carefully the Pharaoh she would bear children to, to ensure her host's safety. Once the child was born, Nadia would lose control and Hathor would leave the palace.

"Hathor was angry that Atem died without leaving an heir. His cousin becoming the new Pharaoh. He is still distantly related to Hathor but was diluted since her sixth child was Atem and Sets great-great-great-great-grandfather. Set refused all her advances instead choosing two priestesses as his Queens and mother of his children; Priestess Isis and Priestess Mana. Hathor had to flee Egypt as a result of him refusing her advances and ordering her death."

"Atem will not change his mind about telling us the location of his tomb unless the puzzle is handed over to Yugi Moto," George asked.

"That is correct sir," Sam replied.

"I've met Yugi Moto, I believe that he will co-operate with us if we hand over the puzzle," Daniel answered.

"His background check also suggests the same thing," Jack told the General.

"Then you have my permission. Captain Carter, Dr. Jackson will you two be able to handle this mission alone?" Hammond asked them.

"Yes sir." Both replied.

Hammond gave his orders to the other members of SG-1. "Teal'c, Colonel O'Neil. You will be assisting SG-6 with their off-world mission. Debriefing for the mission is in one hour. Dismissed."

SG-1

Ryou was happy to be back in his own clothes. Sam and Daniel were also dressed in civilian clothing. Atem was looking more cheerful and Bakura just looked happy at having permission to stretch his legs.

"What is this place?" Sam asked as they stepped through the shadow portal summoned by the Thief King. Thankfully, he was being nice today and taking them through one of the nicer sections of the realm.

"It's another dimension parallel to our own." Ryou answered happily.

Several of the lower levelled creatures swarmed Ryou and Atem who both greeted the creatures enthusiastically.

"It's nice to see you again my Pharaoh."

The group turned to see two human-looking monsters.

"It is good to see you both again." Atem greeted his old friends. "This is the Dark Magician Mahado and his apprentice Mana." Atem introduced. "This is Sam Carter and Daniel Jackson. Instead of reincarnating like myself, the thief, Set and Isis; Mana and Mahado fused with their ka monster. Mahado was the former priest who bore the ring on my council. Mana bore the ring on Sets council. Did you know this was to happen my old friends?"

"We did my Pharaoh. You were not happy in the afterlife while Yugi still lived. The Thief also needs a chance to live without Zorks influence. To redeem himself for what he did while influenced by Zork." Mahado replied. He turned to the two members of SG-1. "Daniel Jackson, Samantha Carter. You need to allow Ryou Bakura go back to his life, with the Ring. You cannot keep him locked up forever. Ryou Bakura is a good person and will be a good influence on the former thief. Please also know that the gods that you have met are not the true Egyptian gods. They only impersonate the gods of Egypt. Daniel Jackson, Samantha Carter, we will speak again. First you need to finish your mission."

The magicians opened the portal. "It was good to see you again my friends," Atem told them.

Ryou went through first, followed by Sam, Daniel and finally the two spirits.

SG-1

" _Not this nonsense again. I don't want to deal with this._ " They heard someone say. That someone was Seto Kaiba.

Yugi Moto was already fussing over Ryou Bakura. Asking him questions in rapid Japanese that not even Daniel could follow.

"Where are we?" Sam asked looking around the room.

The room was modern. They appeared to be in a lab, a lab that Sam wished she could have herself. All the equipment modern. Computers lining the wall, all spitting out different information. Everything seemed far more advanced than anything Sam had ever seen.

"You're in my private lab in my house," Kaiba told her with a cold tone.

This was his personal lab! Just how successful was he if he had this as his personal lab. She wanted to know what the labs at Kaiba Corporation were like if this was what his personal one was like.

" _What happened? Kaiba told me everything he knew. Why didn't you say anything? I would've helped you."_ Yugi asked Ryou in a slower tone that Daniel could now understand.

" _I didn't want you to get mixed up if something went wrong, which it clearly did._ " Ryou told him. " _I'll tell you all I can later._ "

Ryou held out the puzzle. The young man started crying when he saw it, talking rapidly fast when he saw the spirit. Yugi took the puzzle. Sam and Daniel watched as his imaged changed to match Yugi's.

" _That feels much better,_ " Atem said after his link was fully fused with Yugi again. " _Not that what you did for me wasn't much appreciated Ryou._ "

" _I also feel slightly better, I didn't realise how draining it was trying to sustain you. I would do it again if needed._ " Ryou smiled.

" _Thank you, Ryou._ " Yugi hugged Ryou.

"I see you can speak a lot more English Yugi," Atem said switching languages. "This will make things easier for Samantha Carter, she cannot speak Japanese."

"How did you do that? Before you could only speak a few words of English?" Daniel asked.

"I share all my knowledge with Yugi and vice versa," Atem replied.

"So he now knows everything that you know?" Sam enquired.

"He does." Yami Yugi confirmed.

Yugi smiled at the spirit. "I know that you want to see Atems tomb. We can't portal directly to the tomb. A lot of rituals are in place to prevent that. We'll need to stop somewhere else first."

Atem took control of Yugi's body, created a portal. "Because of the location we are going, travelling through the Shadow Realm will not be easy for you Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter."

"Are you going to come to Kaiba?" Ryou asked.

The businessman smirked. "I want to test my current security team. Let's see how long it takes them to notice I'm gone."

YGO

The small group entered the realm once again. It was darker this time. Both Daniel and Sam had an uneasy feeling. Yugi and Ryou were walking together, catching up on school and friends and mundane things such as TV and video games. The thief looked all to at home in the darkness. Kaiba looked like he was just taking a simple walk through a nice lush park. Atem was leading the way.

Sam held up her gun and pointed when a load roar was heard in the distance. She almost dropped it when flying towards her came a gigantic creature far larger than the small cute creatures that had greeted them earlier.

"Is that a dragon?" Daniel enquired.

"It is, it isn't just any dragon either," Atem told them.

"I recognise that dragon. When I went to Kaiba Corporation to speak with Mr Kaiba, they were everywhere." Sam exclaimed.

They watched the dragon land in front of Seto Kaiba. The businessman held out his hand, the creature nuzzling up to him.

"That is the blue eyes white dragon. The dragon is Kaiba's signature card in Duel Monsters." Atem told Sam and Daniel.

Kaiba smiled, a sight that Sam had not seen of the business man when she'd paid him a visit. The dragon took off into the air and circled them from overhead.

"Blue eyes is going to keep guard for the remainder of our trip," Yugi told her. "Not everything in this realm is safe. We need to keep going, you two aren't used to the shadows and it's probably weighing down on you already."

Daniel was looking worse for wear. Sam thought the only reason she was still going was because of her years of military training. They kept moving. It felt like hours later when the stepped out of the realm into a different type of darkness. A darkness light by torches.

" _Ishizu, are you home?"_ Yugi called out.

They heard shuffling from nearby, a tall, tanned man with a tattooed face entered the room.

 _"It is good to see you again young Pharaoh. My sister is nearby, wait here while I find her."_ The man said before disappearing into the darkness.

Kaiba had pulled a scroll off the shelf. And was using his phone to read the texts. Daniel was glancing everywhere through the tomb looking like all his Christmases and Birthdays had come at once.

"Do you know what the tattoos on his face mean?" Sam asked Daniel.

"They are hieroglyphics announcing his servitude to the goddess Ishtar," Daniel told her. "It's strange that he would use Ishtar instead of Hathor or one of the other names she went by."

"It's not to the goddess Ishtar, it's to house Ishtar." Ryou told Daniel. "That was Ishizu's brother Radish. He was adopted into the Ishtar family as a baby. He got the tattoo to show he was loyal to the family despite not being of their blood."

Ishizu and Radish both returned moments later.

"It is good to see you safe." Ishizu hugged Ryou. "Dr Cater, Dr Jackson. It is a pleasure to see you both again."

"Where are we currently?" Daniel asked her.

"The home of the Tomb Keeper clan of house Ishtar," Ishizu replied. "I guess in modern terms we'd be considered a cult. Our ancestors were chosen by Pharaoh Set to guard the Millennium Necklace and the Millennium Rod until the time when the Pharaoh was reborn. This tomb was built for that purpose. When the time of the Pharaohs fell, my family continued living the way they'd always lived. Living cut off to the rest of the world as we always had while the world moved on without us."

Daniel was amazed as he walked through, seeing people still living the same way as thousands of years ago. He felt like he was back on Abydos.

"I'm the current clan leader," Ishizu told him. "Traditionally my brothers should be clan leader before myself, my brother Marik has rejected this lifestyle and does not want to continue the clan. Radish cannot become clan leader since he's adopted into the family and it's only in extreme circumstances that someone not related by blood takes over the clan, so far it has never happened."

"Those that want to leave can, or was your brother an exception?" Sam asked.

"They can now that I'm in charge. Under my father and several previous generations, people could not leave the clan. There are other generations when people could leave the clan if they choose to." Ishizu explained. "Not everyone wishes to leave the clan; they cling on to the only way of life they have ever known, which is why I am now clan leader now that our duties are complete. The ones that have left can return if they chose. Not everyone who leaves can adjust to the modern world."

Daniel listened to the dialect; it was similar and different to the dialect on Abydos at the same time. Everyone seemed so happy.

"Can people from the outside come here?" Sam asked.

"You are both here," Ishizu replied. "Kaiba, Bakura and Yugi all visit on a regular basis. As do a couple of my associates. Not many people from outside come in. Several that have don't return because our way of life scares them off.

"This way of life certainly doesn't scare me off," Daniel told Ishizu. The excitement evident in his word as he looked at everything and started asking questions about their food production, sleeping quarters, work, language and anything else he could think of.

"Maybe another time Dr. Jackson," Ishizu replied. "You are here to visit the Pharaoh's tomb."

"How do you know that?" Sam asked her. "We haven't told you anything."

"I've already told you, Dr. Carter. I know you don't believe me, you don't have to believe me either." Ishizu replied.

Kaiba smiled at Sam's question. He liked how logical she was.

YGO

Daniel looked around at the well they'd exited in the centre of runes. Nothing was around them, just emptiness.

"We don't have far to go," Ishizu replied. Walking into the desert. The entrance was hidden, but it was in fact a tomb.

"My clan watches everyone who enters the tomb. I warn you it is dangerous, most who have entered have not come out alive. This is where I leave you." Ishizu told them.

She walked back towards her home. Radish staying with them and opened the tomb. The small group entered. Daniel wishing he had the time to examine everything like a regular archaeological dig. He was amazed at the knowledge that Ryou, Yugi and Kaiba all had of the tomb and Egyptian archaeology in general. All three of them would make good archaeologists, even Kaiba who didn't study that field. They managed to get through all the traps to the sarcophagus.

Sam took her sample from the Pharaoh and was surprised when Kaiba also took a sample.

"I want to compare the DNA to Yugi and Ishizu's family." Kaiba shrugged. "I also have priest Aknadin's and Pharaoh Aknamkanon DNA. Atem's father and Uncle."


	13. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

SG-1 were in a debriefing with the General, from Egypt they had gone directly back to the base. Kaiba had remained behind, claiming he had another way home. Ryou and Yugi were both currently in the holding cell with the technology which blocked off their powers and projected the image of the spirits.

"What have you kids been up to?" Jack asked the youngest two members of his team.

Jack and Teal'c just finishing off talking about their routine mission.

"We've had an interesting couple of days," Daniel replied.

"Go ahead," the General said to the two scientists.

"We'll start with why we brought Yugi Moto back with us," Sam told him. Explaining how all the knowledge that Pharaoh Atem possessed had transferred to Mr. Moto immediately. "Janet examined him on arrival, his scans match up very closely with the ones taken of Mr. Bakura's body with Atem in control. Since joining with Yugi, Atem's scan has changed to mirror Yugi's. I suspect if we travelled in time a few years and took the scan just after they were both separated that Yugi's scans would match our previous reading."

The scientist then debriefed the General on what the Shadow Realm was like and several of the powers that both possessed.

"Ryou Bakura was correct, these items are dangerous in the wrong hands. With Dr. Ishtars help I was able to track down which legends refers to the Millennium Items. Three of the items have been used over the centuries, the Ring being the most prominent. The scales and the eye have made a few appearances, usually around the same time. They were in possession of a guardian who'd give them out to test the people. From the few stories I could find they always died eventually, some as soon as they got the items, other's years later, always because of the items."

"Are these items safe to leave with Mr. Bakura and Mr. Moto?" General Hammond asked.

"Yes sir," Sam replied. "I don't believe we have a chose even if they weren't safe to leave them with."

"From what I've read of both Mr. Bakura and Mr. Moto's background, I believe that once they finish their study, they would be a valuable asset to the SGC." General Hammond informed SG-1. "They have skills and talents unlike any we've seen before that could be valuable in our fight against the gou'ald.

Daniel had a sad smile as he thought of his wife and the possibility they may get Sha're back the same way as Nadia.

"How was the Egyptian portion of your trip?" General Hammond asked.

"That was incredible General," Daniel said. "Dr. Ishtar's family still lives the traditional Egyptian way. It was like we'd just stepped through the Stargate and seeing a culture that hadn't changed from the time they'd ended up on that planet." Daniel went into detail about what they had seen in the Ishtar family crypt and Pharaoh Atem's tomb, Sam adding comments when appropriate.

"If Nadia is going to leave the base for anywhere on Earth that would be the place," Sam told the General, agreeing with the assessment. "I believe it would also be an excellent place to home alien humans from similar and primitive cultures whom we were going to home on Earth anyway. General, I believe it would be in our best interest to tell Dr. Ishizu Ishtar and her brother Radish about the Stargate program. They have extensive knowledge about Egypt and combining her families' knowledge of Egypt and this other dimension would be in our best interest."

"From what you've told me about Dr. Ishtar and her brother, I agree. I will arrange a meeting with them myself before I make a commitment."

"General, I believe we should extend that offer the Seto Kaiba as well. He has technology we've never seen before. He also seems to be heavily included in Ryou Bakura and Yugi Moto's group of friends. Ishizu, Radish and Kaiba were all heavily involved with Ryou Bakura's break into Area-51. Yugi Moto wasn't involved because the other four believed they were protecting him." Sam continued.

General Hammond nodded in agreement. "I'll arrange a meeting with Mr. Kaiba when we speak with Dr. and Mr. Ishtar. You took DNA results?"

"As soon as we arrived back at the base we gave the DNA samples we took to the lab. Seto Kaiba also took a DNA sample of his own from the tomb." Sam told him. "The DNA results have come back. Nadia is Pharaoh Atems mother. While we were still in Egypt, we took several samples from the Ishtar family. The family have a small DNA pool from thousands of years of no new blood. It is similar to what we've seen on Abydos and other planets with small populations. As a result, we were able to determine that they are close relatives to Nadia, her direct descendants. They come from Pharaoh Set's family line. He was a cousin to Pharaoh Atem who ascended the throne after Atem's death."

"So this weapon we have been looking for to fight the goa'uld hasn't been out there in space on other planets. It has been on Earth the whole time." Jack pointed out, holding up a picture of the Millennium Items.

"It is an effective weapon to fight the false gods." Another person said. They all jumped into action, guns pointed at the man, covering General Hammond. Daniel standing behind Sam having the least battle experience of the group.

Standing in front of them was a man who looked like he belonged with the Ishtar family.

"Who are you and how did you get in here?" General Hammond demanded.

"I am Shada, the guardian of the Millennium Items." The ancient spirit told them. "I belong to the race known as the Ancients whom you've already heard of."

"They were one of the races that were mentioned on the planet we found Dr Littlefield," Daniel told the General.

"I can go wherever the Millennium Items are. It has been allowed for you to discover the items in order to defeat the false gods while keeping the human alive. The Puzzle, Ring, Tauk and Rod need to return to their rightful owners. Yugi Moto, Ryou Bakura, Ishizu Ishtar and Seto Kaiba. The other three items you can keep for now, in good faith. If you are found to abuse their powers at all or don't hand them over to their rightful owners when the time comes, I will remove them from your care with great consequences for those who abuse the items."

"What type of consequences?" General Hammond asked them.

"Sent to the deepest parts of the Shadow Realm where there is no escape," Shada told them before his disappeared.

YGO

Seto Kaiba hated being made to wait. He'd been taken to a conference room with Ishizu and Radish Ishtar. Roland looked uncomfortable standing behind him without any weapons in a room of men and woman armed to the teeth and more extensive training than the bodyguard and advisor.

Seto looked up as the General of the facility walked into the room followed by Yugi and Ryou. Both looking just as well as the last time he'd seen them in Egypt. Sam Carter, Daniel Jackson and four other people he didn't know entered the room.

"I'm glad you could join us. I'm General George Hammond. I'm in charge of this facility." The man told them bowing to the three of them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you General." Ishizu stood up and bowed. "I am Ishizu Ishtar, this is my brother Radish, and Seto Kaiba and Kaiba's assistant Roland Isono." She indicated to Kaiba and his bodyguard.

"I'm sorry about taking the Millennium Items from you. We were under the impression they were something else." General Hammond told them. "We'll discuss that in a moment, but before we do you need to sign these."

Kaiba skimmed over the papers, then pulled out his own papers and handed them to the General.

"What is this?" The General asked.

"The same as what you handed to us. Non-disclosure agreement. If we really are to discuss everything freely, you need to also sign that form." Kaiba replied.

They spent many moments reading the agreements. After everyone was happy, they all signed.

The General explained to them about the Stargate program, the other planets that it could connect to and about the goa'uld.

Kaiba seemed to perk up at the existence of other planets. "Can you show us?" He asked, trying to keep the anticipation out of his voice.

"What you believe in aliens, but don't believe in magic?" Atem asked him.

"Is it so hard to believe we are not alone in the galaxy when there are so many planets in the galaxy?" Kaiba replied. "That Earth is so special that we are the only planet in the galaxy with life on it."

"In time we will show you." The General replied. He explained what he wanted from each of them.

"With Kaiba Corporation's help, we're hoping we can use your company to release some of the alien technology to the general public. Your company already releases technology far beyond anything else." Sam told him.

Kaiba glanced over at some of the technology they had in the room for examples. He was able to understand how it worked from the first explanation and adapted to using said technology with ease. This had been worth waiting for.

"Dr. Ishtar. We have a woman here that Ryou and spirit Bakura freed from the goa'uld. Nadia. She was former host to the goa'uld Hathor. She's been proven to be Atems mother. We were hoping your clan would be willing to take her in." General Hammond asked her.

"Of course, we'd be honoured to have her join our clan," Ishizu replied.

"Mr Moto, Mr Bakura" The General turned to the two young men. "We'd like you both to join our program after you have both completed your study. Working as archaeologist off world."

"You are offering me a job even though I broke into Area-51?" Ryou asked in amazement.

"You have proven to have skills that we can use for our organisation." General Hammond told them.

"I accept. Ryou, this is an opportunity of a lifetime. We'd be silly to let it pass." Yugi replied with excitement.

They discussed the Stargate Program and the Millennium Items in great detail. Finally, it was time for the part Kaiba was looking forward to the most. Travelling through the Stargate to another planet. Roland had decided to remain behind. He didn't have any interest in travelling to other planets. They suited up and stepped through the Stargate.

Kaiba's scientific mind wasn't able to contain his excitement when he travelled with SG-1. "Look at the stars." He pointed out. It was nightfall on the planet they'd arrived on. "These are not the stars that we see in the Northern Hemisphere. These aren't even the stars we see from the Southern Hemisphere."

"Can you still use your items on another planet?" Jack asked of Yugi and Ryou.

One of the spikes of the Ring pointed towards Yugi. The other three pointed towards the ground at a slight angle. "I can still sense the other items on Earth. But they are really far away. Further than before. The direction they are pointing should be the direction of Earth." Ryou told them.

Both agreed that being on another planet didn't affect the Shadow magic at all.

"I wonder if we can get back to Earth with the Shadows." Yugi pondered. He pulled out his duel monster deck he took everywhere and called forward his Dark Magician.

"Mahado, do you know if we can get back to Earth through the Shadow realm from another planet?" He asked the spirit.

Jack was impressed at getting to finally see a monster summoned.

"You can my Pharaoh, it just takes longer the further the planet is away from Earth." The monster spirit replied.

"I didn't hurt you summoning you on another planet?" Yugi asked with much concern.

"Not at all young Pharaoh. It doesn't make a difference what planet you summon us on." Mahado replied.

The group was shown around the planet before heading back to Earth. If Kaiba knew that this would've been the result of breaking into area 51, he might have just done it himself.


End file.
